Turkey begins week-long commemoration of July 15 failed coup

Turkey has started marking the first anniversary of the failed coup attempt that took place last July.

The July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day events will be held under the auspices of the Presidency and will last until Sunday evening.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim visited the Edirnekapi Martyrs Cemetary in Istanbul. Yildirim, who arrived before Erdogan, greeted visitors and distributed toys to the children at the entrance of the cemetery.

In Ankara, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu inaugurated a photo exhibition entitled July 15 Treacherous coup attempt with Photos organised by the Directorate General of Press and Information.

Soylu also visited the graves of those killed that night in Ankara's Golbasi district.

In the southern province of Adana, Turkish EU Minister Omer Celik visited the graves of twin police officers Ahmet and Mehmet Oruc, who died in Golbasi district during an air attack on July 15.

Environment and Urbanisation Minister Mehmet Ozhaseki visited central Kayseri province's garrison and the Air Command Cemetery in conjunction with the July 15 events.

In the central province of Eskisehir, Culture Minister Nabi Avci visited the tombs of the July 15 victims.

In the northwestern Bursa province, morning prayers were said at the Grand Mosque followed by a Quran recitation. After the morning prayer, soup was distributed to the public outside the mosque.

In northwestern Kocaeli province, prayers were said for the 250 people who died as a result of the attempted coup.

Additionally, various activities have been organised by non-governmental organisations, municipalities and institutions to commemorate the event.

Throughout the week, Turkish embassies across the world will hold memorial services and issue press releases about the coup attempt. Announcements will also be shared on mainstream and social media.

According to the Turkish government, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the failed coup of July 15, 2016, which killed 250 people and injured nearly 2,200 others.

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.