On the occasion of “July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day”, Erciyes University held a conference on the “July 15 Nation’s Victory and FETO Terrorist Organization”, in which Prof. Dr. Hilmi Demir, a faculty member at TOBB University of Economics and Technology, participated as a speaker.

Governor Gökmen Çiçek, Ak Party Kayseri Deputies Ayşe Böhürler and Sayın Bayar Özsoy, Garrison Commander Air Brigadier General Haldun Taşan, Metropolitan Mayor Dr. Memduh Büyükkılıç, ERU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatih Altun, Provincial Head of AK Party Fatih Üzüm, Vice-Rectors Prof. Dr. Oktay Özkan, Prof. Dr. M. Hakan Poyrazoğlu and Prof. Dr. Hakan Aydın, Provincial Police Chief Atanur Aydın, Secretary General Prof. Dr. İbrahim Narin, Assistant Secretaries General Assoc. Prof. Afşın Alper Cerit and Zafer Çağlıtalaslıgil, Provincial Directors, Members of the Senate, academic and administrative staff attended the conference held at the conference hall of the Faculty of Tourism.

Rector Altun said: “The great Turkish Nation, in unity and solidarity, will eliminate the treacherous plans and the evil. The nation was confronted with a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 by the members of the treacherous terrorist organization FETO and their collaborators who wanted to destroy and divide our country, which was advancing with strong steps. On that night, the glorious Turkish Nation went to the squares for the homeland and showed its unity and solidarity to the whole world, as in the War of Independence, by giving the necessary answer to the traitors at the cost of their lives. On July 15, one of the darkest days of our country, the Turkish Nation, including the young or the old and the women or the men, did not allow the tanks seized by the traitors to advance on the streets. The nation prevented these traitors from achieving their goals with the consciousness of Kuva-yi Milliye in the squares and showed that the evil groups who want to drag our country into darkness would not be able to achieve their ambitions. The traitors, who wanted to divide us with their feeble plans, saw once again on the night of July 15 that the Great Turkish Nation, for its homeland and flag, eliminated the dirty game thanks to its unity and solidarity. Everyone should know well that July 15 is the glorious victory of our nation that defended against the treacherous FETO member terrorists. July 15 is the day when the Turkish Nation showed that the sovereignty unconditionally belongs to the nation. Despite the games and dirty plans, our country will always continue to exist as a country that has a say in the world.”

After Rector Altun’s speech, Prof. Dr. Hilmi Demir, a faculty member at TOBB University of Economics and Technology, talked about the July 15 coup attempt. He said: “May Allah never let this nation experience July 15 again. That night, we encountered a group of traitors dressed as soldiers who pointed the weapons given to them by the state at the nation. The bullets they fired were not practice bullet. They were real bullets. We had veterans and martyrs. Those who say that a theater play was performed should carefully recall what happened on that night. There was no theater, but there were real bullets. The traitors were shooting at the nation.”