Turkey's ruling AK Party set to mark 15th anniversary

ANKARA

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party has said weekend celebrations to mark the 15th anniversary of its founding will be modest, in light of the July 15 coup plot.

The party is to hold a ceremony at its headquarters in Ankara on Sunday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on Friday, AK Party Deputy Chairman Hayati Yazici said the celebrations will not be lavish out of respect to the martyrs from the defeated July 15 coup.

"We are making a program at the headquarters only, not countrywide and not widespread," he said.

Yazici said the party sent invitations to about 6,500 people, including President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, former President Abdullah Gul and former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

The program will start with a minutes silence for the victims of the defeated coup followed by the Turkish national anthem at 5.00 p.m. local time [1500 GMT] at the party's headquarters.

Turkey's government said the July 15 coup attempt, which left 240 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured, was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1999.