Western Balkans mark anniversary of defeated coup attempt in Türkiye

BELGRADE, Serbia

Western Balkan countries marked the sixth anniversary of the defeated 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye with events across the region on Friday.

Residents hailed Turkish courage in defeating those who attempted to stage the coup on July 15, 2016 -- a day that has since been commemorated as Democracy and National Unity Day in Türkiye.

The Turkish Embassy in Belgrade organized a conference with academics at the Serbian National Policy Center.

Foreign Ministry State Secretary Nemanja Starovic, said then-Prime Minister and current President Aleksandar Vucic was among the first European and world leaders to support Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of the coup attempt.

The Turkish Ambassador to Belgrade Hami Aksoy said in a video message that it was the will of the Turkish people that confronted the putsch and brought it to its knees.

Also to mark the day, Türkiye's Yunus Emre Institute organized a chess tournament in Serbia for youngsters under the age of 18, including those with disabilities.

In Novi Pazar, a photo exhibition on the coup attempt, featuring scenes captured by Anadolu Agency, was opened to viewers.

The city also hosted a football match between local FC Novi Pazar and FC Napretka from Krusevac in honor of those killed in the putsch.

- Kosovo

In neighboring Kosovo, the Turkish Embassy organized a memorial ceremony to mark July 15.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti was among those in attendance.

Kurti said Turkish democracy had successfully overcome a serious challenge by beating back the coup attempt and expressed his country's respect for those killed and wounded.

- Bosnia and Herzegovina

A separate exhibition featuring photos by Anadolu Agency was also held in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital of Sarajevo.

The president of the Srebrenica Mothers' Association, Munira Subasic, voiced astonishment that such scenes could occur in Türkiye, praising its good people.

Also, Sefik Dzaferovic, chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said the Turkish people had shown their strength in resisting the coup and that they would continue to have the strength.

- Defeated coup

Türkiye commemorated those killed during the defeated coup on Friday.

Since its designation in October 2016, the country has marked July 15 as Democracy and National Unity Day, with events to commemorate those who lost their lives beating back the putschists and remembering the bravery of the nation.

FETO and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.

The attempt by FETO to overthrow the government began around 10 p.m. local time (1900GMT) on July 15, 2016, and was thwarted by 8 a.m. the following day.

Standing against the threat, the Turkish people courageously showed the world that they would not tolerate any attempt to thwart their will as expressed through their democratically elected government.