15 July Democracy and National Unity Day Program Announced in Kastamonu

The Kastamonu Governorship announced the event program to be held as part of the 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day. The events, to which all citizens are invited by Governor Meftun Dallı, include many different activities such as panels, concerts, exhibitions, and martyrdom visits. The program will start on Monday, 13 July 2026, and will last for four days across the city.

The events will kick off with an academic panel to be held at the Hoca Ahmet Yesevi Culture Center on 13 July. Following the panel, where academics will make presentations on issues such as national will, national sovereignty, and military coups, a commemoration concert will be held at the Kastamonu University Faculty of Theology on Tuesday, 14 July. Additionally, on 15 July, a mixed art exhibition, which can be visited until 30 July, will open its doors to visitors at the Faculty of Fine Arts.

A busy schedule will be implemented in the city on Wednesday, 15 July, the main day of commemoration. Following the martyrdom visit to be held in the morning hours with the provincial protocol and veterans, hatim prayers will be read at the martyrs' association and historical mosques. The main commemoration program, which will start at 20.00 in Cumhuriyet Square, will feature a moment of silence, the National Anthem, a mehter (Janissary band) performance, and heroic folk songs.

Along with the special events that will take place at midnight, the commemoration program will continue until the morning of Thursday, 16 July. At 00.13, the lamps of all mosques in Kastamonu will be lit, a sala (call) will be recited, and a slide show will be displayed in the square. The events will conclude with the dawn prayer gathering to be held at the Nasrullah Kadi Mosque at 04.22 in the morning.