A commemorative event and a themed photo exhibition marking the 10th anniversary of Türkiye’s Democracy and National Unity Day were held at the Turkish Cultural Centre in Ashgabat. The date, 15 July, is remembered in Türkiye as the day when the country’s constitutional order was defended by its citizens and state institutions during the failed coup attempt of 2016.
As part of the official programme, participants watched a video address by Professor Dr. Burhanettin Duran, Head of the Communications Directorate of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye.
The keynote speech was delivered by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Türkiye to Turkmenistan, Ahmet Demirok, who reflected on the past decade and outlined Ankara’s current efforts to strengthen national and international security.
In his remarks, the Ambassador described the events of 2016 as a direct threat to Türkiye’s sovereignty and democratic institutions. “The greatest credit for overcoming this grave threat belongs to the Turkish people, who recognize no earthly power above their own will. To protect their state and democratic achievements, our people stood in front of tanks and aircraft, demonstrating to the entire world their readiness to sacrifice their lives for the independence of their homeland,” he said.
A central theme of the address was Türkiye’s international efforts against the FETÖ organization, which Ankara identifies as the principal organizer of the failed coup attempt. The Ambassador described FETÖ as a transnational network operating under the guise of educational, humanitarian and commercial activities.
“Türkiye continues its determined and consistent fight against FETÖ, as well as against other national and international threats. Through our country’s international cooperation, the activities of FETÖ-linked structures in friendly and allied countries have been, and continue to be, significantly curtailed,” Ambassador Demirok stated, adding that the organization’s global network has been substantially weakened.
The Ambassador also highlighted the close relationship between Türkiye and Turkmenistan, developed under the motto “One Nation, Two States.”
Ahmet Demirok expressed his gratitude to Turkmenistan’s leadership — National Leader of the Turkmen People Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President Serdar Berdimuhamedov — for what he described as their principled and timely support.
“Brotherly Turkmenistan recognized the true nature of this insidious organization at an early stage, closed the schools affiliated with FETÖ, and supported our fight against it,” the Ambassador said.
The commemorative programme concluded with a photo exhibition depicting the events of the failed coup attempt, during which 253 people lost their lives. The exhibition featured documentary photographs chronicling the events of that night, as well as memorials dedicated to those who were killed and injured. ///nCa, 15 July 2026 [photo credit – Embassy of Türkiye to Turkmenistan]