Turks commemorate 1 year since failed coup with march

ISTANBUL — Turkey’s president addressed tens of thousands of people Saturday at a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the country’s crushed military coup, vowing to “rip the heads off ” of terror groups and of the coup-plotters who tried to end his more than a decadelong rule.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the large, flag-waving crowd who took part in a national unity march in Istanbul, converging at the iconic July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge to remember 250 people who died on July 15, 2016 trying to resist the coup. Accompanied by his family and the families of the deceased, Erdogan inaugurated a hollow, globe-shaped monument featuring the names of the victims near the foot of the bridge.

“Exactly a year ago today, around this hour, a treacherous attempt took place,” he said.

“The July 15 coup attempt is not the first attack against our country, and it won’t be the last,” he said, referring to a series of terror attacks that also hit the country. “For that reason, we’ll first cut the heads off of these traitors.”

The bridge was the scene of clashes between civilians and anti-government soldiers in tanks. More than 2,000 were injured across Turkey in the struggle. Thirty-five coup plotters were killed.

Photographs of the 250 killed at the bridge were displayed on monitors and their names announced. Erdogan praised their bravery, saying they had been armed only with Turkish flags and “their faith.”

In addition to tanks, Turkish soldiers used warplanes and helicopters as they attempted to overthrow the government and the president on July 15, 2016. They declared their seizure of power on the state broadcaster, bombed the country’s parliament and other key locations and raided an Aegean resort where Erdogan had been on vacation. But Erdogan had already left and the coup attempt was put down by civilians and security forces.

Turkey blames U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen for orchestrating the coup and infiltrating state institutions. Gulen denies the allegations.

In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Turkey declared a state of emergency that has been in place ever since, which has allowed the government to rule by decree and to dismiss tens of thousands of people from their jobs. More than 50,000 people have also been arrested for alleged links to Gulen and other groups.

In the latest government decree published Friday evening, 7,395 more state employees were fired, including teachers, academics, military and police officers, bringing the number of dismissed to more than 110,000. Critics say the dismissals are arbitrary and the victims’ paths to recourse severely curtailed.

The U.S. State Department on Saturday issued a statement praising the bravery of the Turkish people who took to the streets to “preserve the rights and freedoms of their democratic society.”

“The preservation of democracy requires perseverance, tolerance, dissent and safeguards for fundamental freedoms,” the agency said, warning that curbs on those key freedoms erode “the foundations of democratic society.”

PRESIDENCY PRESS SERVICE Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan waves to supporters accompanied by his wife, Emine, during a march on Saturday with relatives of victims of the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt.