Turkish president marks 2nd anniversary of coup attempt

ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JULY 15: The Turkish nation has closed the chapter of coups, never to be reopened again, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on the second anniversary of the coup attempt on Sunday. Addressing a public rally held at July 15 Martyrs Bridge in Istanbul, Erdogan said: “Today, we feel deep sorrow and immense pride in our hearts at the same time.” Praising the Turkish nation’s courage and resistance that night, he said: “This victory is a result of the courage of our martyrs and veterans, who challenged tanks and planes.” Erdogan called the July 15 coup attempt as “a revival of Turkish nation”. “July 15 will never be forgotten," he said. “We will never forget those who prayed for us and those who helped FETO. “Murderers who shot our countrymen that night are getting the heaviest punishments," the president added. Meanwhile, Anadolu Agency aired live images from a FETO camp in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured. 

(Footage by Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)