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Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Ministry will organize more than 200 events across 81 provinces and abroad to mark the 10th anniversary of the July 15, 2016 coup attempt by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the ministry said.
The programs, coordinated by the ministry and its affiliated institutions, include museum activities, stage performances, panels and religious commemorations honoring those killed while resisting the coup attempt.
On July 15, 2016, a faction within the Turkish military attempted to seize power, deploying tanks and fighter jets in Ankara and Istanbul and bombing the parliament building.
Civilians took to the streets to block the attempt, and 253 people were killed and more than 2,000 were injured before the coup collapsed within hours.
Türkiye holds FETO, which was led by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, responsible for orchestrating the attempt. He died in October 2024.
July 15 has since been designated Democracy and National Unity Day and is marked annually with state and public commemorations.
Museums in 54 provinces will host commemorative events. In Ankara, the July 15 Democracy Museum, the Ethnography Museum, and the Republic Museum will welcome coup veterans and host panels, Ottoman military band performances, and musical recitals.
In Istanbul, the Hagia Sophia Historical Museum, the Maiden's Tower Museum, the Memory of July 15 Museum, the Museum of Islamic Science and Technology History and the Istanbul Archaeology Museums will hold related programs.
The ministry said the events aim to keep collective memory alive, build shared awareness against similar threats and convey a commitment to democracy through the arts.
State opera and ballet companies will stage several productions themed around the anniversary.
The Ankara State Opera and Ballet will perform "Irade Bizim Zafer Bizim," also staged by the Mersin State Opera and Ballet.
The Antalya State Opera and Ballet will present a concert of heroic songs tied to July 15, the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet will stage "Vatan Ugruna," and the Samsun State Opera and Ballet will hold a museum concert.
Artists from the Ankara State Stage Arts Community and other units under the General Directorate of Fine Arts will perform 'Destanlari Kahramanlar Yazar' at CSO Ada Ankara.
A poster-style art exhibition on the theme of 'Irade Bizim Zafer Bizim' will run at the main entrance foyer of the Ankara Painting and Sculpture Museum from July 10 to 19.
The ministry's cultural and promotion counselors abroad will hold informational and awareness-raising activities in the United States, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, South Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Poland, Kyrgyzstan, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkmenistan and Greece.
A panel and photo exhibition are planned in Switzerland, while photo exhibitions will also be held in Russia, Hungary, Turkmenistan and Greece. An article on FETO is set to be published in Serbia.
The Yunus Emre Institute will organize programs at Turkish Cultural Centers abroad to commemorate those who lost their lives during the coup attempt.
The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) will run photo exhibitions, documentary screenings and martyrs' park projects in Albania, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Moldova, Somalia, Serbia, Tunisia and Yemen.
Additional projects, including Turkish-language classes and tree-planting initiatives, are also planned to mark the anniversary.
A book titled "Coups in Türkiye From the Ottomans to the Republic," published by the Turkish Historical Society under the Ataturk Culture, Language and History High Institution, will be distributed free of charge to universities and related public institutions.
The Ataturk Culture Center Presidency will hold a "10th Year Exhibition of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day" at the High Institution's Bilkent campus in Ankara.
The Ataturk Research Center and the Turkish Historical Society will also hold a panel on July 14 with four participants.
The General Directorate of Foundations will organize religious ceremonies in 253 central mosques across 81 provinces in memory of the 253 people killed during the coup attempt, with refreshments provided to participants.
A total of 2,520 students receiving foundation scholarships for religious education will each recite the Quran in full, resulting in 2,520 complete recitations dedicated to the memory of those killed.
The Alevi-Bektasi Culture and Cemevi Presidency, the Canakkale Wars Gallipoli Historical Site Presidency and the Radio and Television Supreme Council will also organize programs related to the anniversary.
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