By Victoria Ojeme

Turkey is marking the fifth anniversary of the deadly coup attempt of July 15, 2016, with a series of commemoration events honoring those who lost their lives fighting putschists.

The government will hold series of events all across Turkey on “July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day.”

As part of the ceremonies, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will lay flowers at the Martyrs’ Monument and then attend a programme at the Turkish Parliament to commemorate the event.

The president will also inaugurate the “July 15 Democracy Museum” built opposite the Presidential Complex in Beştepe. The museum consists of eight halls with each featuring a different theme such as “Coups in Turkey and the World,” “Threat of a bullet,” “Drop into the Darkness,” “The Longest Night,” “Traces,” “Sela,” “Respect to the Martyrs” and “Democracy Watches.”

Ankara accuses exiled Fetula Gulen and his movement, which the Turkish Government has described as Fetula Gulen Terrorist Organisation (FETO) as the coup plotters.

Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria  Hidayet Bayraktar, in his remarks on Tuesday in Abuja, during the opening ceremony, in the presence of  Nigeria’s Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Musa Bello and members of the Diplomatic Corps, said the perpetrators of the hideous undertaking actually consisted of the disciples of Fetullah Gulen, the self-styled  “Imam of the Universe” and aimed to take control of the Turkish State to reinstitute his regime according to his perverted religious ethos.

He also warned Nigeria and other countries where Gulen may have opened institutions and businesses to be wary of  Gulen Movement,  describing FETO the “as a mafia-like cultish terror group, with clandestine political aims. It is a threat not only to Turkey but also to all countries they still run their operations.  Their actions in Turkey should be considered as a wake-up call for other countries.”

Recall that Gulen and his group have established some educational institutions and other businesses in Nigeria and in about 41 other countries.

The Turkish envoy, who lamented the death of 251 people and about 2,000 people injured in the coup attempt, said “It is impossible to find the appropriate words to describe the brutality and treachery that the conspirators displayed that night.  It was the worst act of terror in the history of the Turkish Republic.”

He said the members of FETO committed lethal acts of terrorism against innocent civilians who took to the streets to defend their democratic institutions.

“They killed their comrades in arms and commanders who refused to take part in the attempt.

“They used fighter jets to bomb the Turkish Parliament, the Presidential Compound, the National Intelligence Headquarters, and Special Forces Headquarters in an effort to subdue the resistance against them.

“They even attempted to assassinate the President and the Prime Minister of Turkey,” he added.

The Turkish envoy noted that July 15 was an important trial for the strength and perseverance of the Turkish democracy, stressing that the proud people of his country have passed the test with enormous will.

It was the people of Turkey from all backgrounds and political views who resisted and displayed a historic example of solidarity as they stood selflessly in front of the tanks and reclaimed their democratic rights.

The activities rolled out to commemorate the event include; tree planting  to honour the lives lost, the  inauguration of  “July 15: Victory Day” photo exhibition to mark their great struggle to protect democracy and watching of a  movie documentary “The Network”, which analyses the heinous methods of the FETO Terror Group that is being replicated all around the world.