15 July 2018•Update: 15 July 2018
By Haydar Karaalp
BAGHDAD
The Turkish Embassy in Baghdad held a ceremony on Sunday to mark the 2nd anniversary of the defeated coup attempt in Turkey in 2016.
“Sacrificing our lives for the sake of homeland is not strange to the Turkish people,” ambassador Fatih Yildiz told the ceremony.
"What makes July 15 so special is that our unarmed people, not just the armed forces, have taken to the streets to defend Turkey's sovereignty and honor," he said.
Sunday’s ceremony was attended by representatives of Turkish companies in Iraq, Turkmen NGOs and embassy staffers.
The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Turkey marks the historic day as Democracy and National Unity Day with events to commemorate those who lost their lives beating back the putschists and to remember the bravery of the nation.
* Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara
