Various Events Were Held in Montenegro on the Occasion of July 15, Democracy and National Unity Day

A panel and a photography exhibition were held at the conference hall of the Islamic Cultural Center, the construction of which was completed by TİKA in 2014, in Bar, Montenegro, as part of the July 15, Democracy and National Unity Day, events.

The photography exhibition, organized with the theme of “Turkey is Impassable” as part of the events held by the Turkish Embassy in Podgorica, TİKA’s Podgorica Program Coordination Office, and the Islamic Community of Montenegro, will be open to visitors from July 12 to 18, 2021.

At the panel, which was held on July 14, 2021 and aimed to explain the importance of July 15 to the people of Montenegro; Songül Ozan, the Republic of Turkey’s Ambassador to Podgorica; Rifat Fejzić, Head of the Islamic Community of Montenegro; Erdan Seferovic, Director of Montenegro Association of Alumni of Turkey; and Igbala Šabović Kerović, an architect who graduated from a university in Turkey, delivered their speeches after the presentation of the video prepared by the Directorate of Communications of the Republic of Turkey.

Songül Ozan, Turkey’s Ambassador, said, “It was the night when the insidious and treacherous movement that had continued against the Turkish state, constitutional order, and elected government for many years turned into a blatant coup attempt and when the Turkish people and patriotic Turkish soldiers and police officers heroically resisted the coup attempt under the leadership of our President, protecting their state, which is based on popular sovereignty, and their democratic gains at the expense of their lives. That night added a unique page to the history of the Turkish people, which is filled with honor and struggle for independence.” Ambassador Ozan stressed that Turkey has been fighting FETÖ both at home and abroad for the past 5 years and that FETÖ is a threat not only to Turkey but also to other countries.

Rifat Fejzić, Head of the Islamic Community of Montenegro, pointed out that FETÖ attacked the Turkish people with the weapons allocated by the state to protect the country and that the Turkish people put down the treacherous coup attempt under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Fejzić stated that as the Turkish people put down FETÖ’s coup attempt on July 15, 2016, nobody would ever think about plotting a coup in Turkey.

In his speech, Erdan Seferovic, Director of Montenegro Association of Alumni of Turkey (MASAT), said, “Some of our members shared the fate of the Turkish people that night. They were fearful and worried as they heard the news that the Bosphorus Bridges were closed, that the Presidential Complex and the GNAT were bombed, and that bullets were fired at civilians. They shared the happiness and joy of the people of Turkey when it was certain that the coup attempt failed.”

At the panel, Igbala Šabović Kerović, an architect who graduated from a university in Turkey, noted that July 15 is an important day for the struggle for democracy. He said he believed that well-intentioned people around the world understood and believed the message of democracy given by the Turkish people and that those who did not approach the economic growth of Turkey with good intentions also understood the message given.

After the presentation of the video and speeches at the panel, participants and many invitees visited the photography exhibition “Turkey is Impassable,” featuring the photographs of the night of the coup attempt.

The panel was attended by representatives of Turkish institutions and organizations in Montenegro, as well as many Montenegrin citizens, including Bosniak and Albanian politicians.