The July 15 Association organized a meaningful Bosphorus tour program for Father's Day, dedicated to the legacies of the martyrs who wrote an epic by shielding the nation with their lives against the treacherous coup attempt, and to the veterans. The July 15 Association organized a meaningful Bosphorus tour program for Father's Day, dedicated to the legacies of the martyrs who wrote an epic by shielding the nation with their lives against the treacherous coup attempt, and to the veterans.
This meaningful gathering, held as part of the 10th-anniversary commemorations of the coup attempt, was attended by fathers who buried their children for the sake of the homeland, children carrying the absence of their fathers in their hearts, dignified women who bid farewell to their spouses to the rank of martyrdom, and heroic veterans. The program on the blue waters of the Istanbul Bosphorus was a mix of sorrow and pride.
BEING TOGETHER ON THIS SHIP IS A GREAT HONOR
Speaking at the opening of the program, Provincial Director of Family and Social Services Ömer Turan commemorated the martyrs with mercy and wished the veterans a blessed life. Expressing the honor he felt being together with this special community, Turan said, 'Being here together with this special group today, being able to celebrate Father's Day with our elders, and being an individual within this environment is a very honorable situation for me personally.
To be on this ship with your very precious elders who lived through the July 15 process, who gave their lives and paid a price for this cause, to experience this moment, is a great honor for us.'
10TH-YEAR PROGRAM OF THE EPIC TO BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEK
July 15 Association President İsmail Hakkı Turunç emphasized their gratitude to the families who sacrificed their most valuable possessions for the unity and togetherness of the homeland.
Mentioning the comprehensive preparations underway for the 10th anniversary of the democracy victory, Turunç spoke about the plans to be carried out in the coming days: 'Recently, we met with our esteemed President, our Communications Director, and our Presidential Chief of Staff, Mr. Hasan Doğan, and held a highly productive consultation meeting.
In cooperation with our Communications Directorate, our Istanbul Governorship, and our July 15 Association, we have prepared our memorial programs to be held domestically and abroad with great care and diligence. God willing, next week, through a comprehensive press launch, we will share all the details of these programs, projects, and memorial events with the public.'
OUR HOMELAND IS A CORNER OF PARADISE, WE HAVE NO FRIEND BUT OURSELVES
Veteran İlhan Yılmaz, who was injured while resisting the coup plotters on the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, recounted his experiences at the Anatolian Side toll booths that dark night. Stating that he carried 9 martyrs and 17 wounded from his area while being injured himself, Yılmaz gave this vital message to the youth: 'The Father's Day program is really a very delicate, beautiful thought.
I want to tell the youth this: Turkey is a paradise-like place. Three sides of us are surrounded by seas, everyone has their eye on here. Protecting the homeland and the nation is the greatest thing. We have no friend but ourselves. If it were not July 15, but July 20, or July 25, I would go out again, we would go out again.'
NO MATTER HOW MANY YEARS PASS, OUR PAIN IS AS FRESH AS YESTERDAY
Bayram Kocatürk, the father of Murat Kocatürk who was martyred shielding his chest for the homeland, the flag, and the call to prayer in front of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) in Saraçhane, expressed the dignified stance they feel despite the 10 years that have passed with these words: 'Ten years have passed since July 15. The pain we experienced is a sweet pain. For us, it is a pride, an honor, a dignity.
No matter how many years pass, our pain is as fresh as if it happened yesterday, but the rank of martyrdom gives us some consolation. My son fell a martyr for his homeland. The July 15 Association makes us feel once again that we are not alone here, that we are a huge family.'
WE RAN TO THE SQUARES WITH THE SPIRIT OF ÇANAKKALE RATHER THAN DYING IN OUR BEDS
Veteran Mehmet Memiş Sidar, one of those who took to the squares that night facing death, summarized the historic reflex shown by the Turkish nation against the coup mentality with these sentences: 'When we went out to the squares that night, we went out because of our trust in our President, our trust in our state, our belief in the unity of our nation, and because we were fed up with this treacherous structure within the military, this coup
mentality. We went out facing death. Rather than dying in our beds, we went out to the squares for our homeland, with the spirit of Çanakkale, the spirit of Kut'ül Amare, shouting 'Allah Allah'.'
WE WALKED WITH ONLY THE LOVE OF THE HOMELAND, WITHOUT ANY POLITICAL VIEW
Veteran's spouse Asuman Sidar stated that the night of July 15 was a reflection of the Turkish nation's free will.
Expressing that she had not a shred of hesitation when seeing her husband off to the street, Sidar emphasized that love for the homeland is above everything with these words: 'The night of July 15 was a night when people from within the public poured into the squares without seeking any political view, completely with their own free will, with love for the homeland. When my husband went out to the street, I had no worry inside me. This title of veteran for him is a great source of pride for us.
Our homeland is one, our country is one. If such a thing happens again one day, this nation will again protect its homeland with the same free will.'
