Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent a message to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the occasion of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day.
In his message, Aliyev stressed that Erdoğan's decisive leadership and the Turkish people's rallying around their leader were decisive in the failure of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt and in saving Turkey from a "great disaster."
Noting that July 15 is "one of the most tragic and at the same time most honorable pages" of modern Turkish history, Aliyev said the coup attempt targeted state institutions, the constitutional order, national will, and democratic foundations, but was thwarted thanks to the unwavering will, courage, and devotion to the homeland of the Turkish people.
Describing the thousands of citizens who took to the squares to defend their state, flag, and national values as a "true epic of heroism," Aliyev said this moment will forever remain in the memory of the Turkish people.
Aliyev noted that the events of July 15 proved that no treacherous plan or destructive force can succeed against the unity of the people and the state.
Emphasizing that Azerbaijan stood by Turkey during the coup attempt and remains in solidarity with Turkey as always, Aliyev highlighted the fraternal bonds between the two countries.
Turkey witnessed a coup attempt on July 15, 2016, carried out by a group of soldiers linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ). During the attempt, 253 people were martyred and many others were injured. The Turkish government declared July 15, the day the coup attempt was thwarted, as "Democracy and National Unity Day" and holds commemoration events every year.
