A Message from Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Erol TURAN, on July 15

The July 15, 2016 coup attempt allowed us to see the true face of FETÖ—an organization controlled and directed by external forces and exploiting our religious beliefs—and our country narrowly averted disaster.

Collaborators—puppets of those who sought to hinder and slow down the progress of the Republic of Turkey and of those who could not tolerate our country taking its rightful place in the world—pointed their weapons at our state and our own citizens that night, plotting not only to strike a blow against the country’s administration but also against its future.

Our beloved nation, emboldened by the confidence and strength provided that night by our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—the primary target of FETÖ members who had exploited our country’s resources while hiding their true faces for years—rose to its feet with the faith drawn from its history, standing shoulder to shoulder—women, men, and children alike—and bravely stood its ground against the traitors, thus achieving a significant victory that will be remembered for generations.

As Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk stated, the FETÖ terrorist organization—which serves specific powers and interests rather than the goal of “raising generations that are free in thought, free in conscience, and free in knowledge,” and which uses our religion, one of our most sacred and indispensable values, as a tool—has, through this treacherous attack, prompted us to become more conscious and vigilant regarding this and similar incidents, and the continuity of the 17th Turkish Republic has been ensured through its strengthening.

On the occasion of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, I remember with gratitude all our martyrs who willingly sacrificed their lives so that our glorious flag may continue to fly and the call to prayer may never be silenced on this sacred land, and I express my deepest gratitude to all our heroes and veterans who wrote an epic on July 15, 2016.

Prof. Dr. Erol TURAN

Rector