TRT to stream Turkish democracy rally in 7 languages

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT will screen Sunday’s major 'Democracy and Martyrs' Rally' in seven languages live on social media.

In addition to the live broadcast, the event in the Yenikapi district in Istanbul will also be streamed on YouTube in Turkish, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Arabic.

Millions of people are gathering in Istanbul ahead of the cross-party ‘Democracy and Martyrs' Rally’ called to protest the defeated July 15 coup launched by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

People started to gather hours before the mass rally in the city’s Yenikapi district, many carrying national flags.

The Yenikapi rally is to be addressed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who is also the leader of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party.

Leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahceli have confirmed they will attend the rally which will start at 5 p.m. local time (1400GMT). A collection of Turkish celebrities will also be at the event.

The Yenikapi event will mark the end of weeks of ‘democracy watch’ rallies held in cities across the country since the defeated coup, which martyred 240 people and wounded nearly 2,200 more.

Turkey's government has repeatedly said the defeated attempt was organized by followers of Fetullah Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania since 1997.

Gulen is also accused of leading a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the parallel state.

Reporting by Etem Geylan : Writing by Can Erözden