Kocaeli to Host Commemoration Program on 15 Temmuz Democracy and National Unity Day

The Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality announced that a meaningful commemoration program will be organized at Milli İrade Meydanı as part of the 15 Temmuz Democracy and National Unity Day. The event, prepared to commemorate with mercy the martyrs who lost their lives for the homeland during the treacherous coup attempt on 15 Temmuz 2016, is specially designed to express feelings of indebtedness and gratitude to the veterans. The program, which aims to once again strongly demonstrate the spirit of unity and solidarity, will bring together citizens from all over the city. Authorities emphasize that the commemoration event will not be just a ceremony, but also a manifesto of solidarity celebrating the national will and democracy. A comprehensive program has been prepared to keep the memory of the martyrs alive and to pass on the spirit of 15 Temmuz to future generations.

The commemoration program will start with a cortege walk beginning at 19.45 from in front of Fevziye Camii. Citizens walking to Milli İrate Meydanı with Turkish flags in their hands will contribute to keeping the memory of the epic resistance experienced that night alive. The crowd gathering in the square will stand in line in a spiritual atmosphere with the evening prayer call to be read at 20.37 for Kocaeli. During the cortege walk, citizens are expected to display the strongest expression of unity and solidarity. This walk will bear the nature of a march of dedication to the sacred memory of the people who poured into the streets on the night of 15 Temmuz and gave their lives for their democracy.

Following the opening of the program, a Quran recitation will be held, and the Yasin-i Şerif will be read by the Kocaeli Müftülüğü. The completion of the Quran will be prayed for, and the 15 Temmuz martyrs will be commemorated with mercy and prayers; the spiritual rituals will provide emotional moments for the participants. After the religious program, a special performance will be staged, narrated by Aydın Sigalı, General Art Director of Kocaeli Şehir Tiyatroları. In the performance, which will last approximately 70 minutes, the poems of Arif Nihat Asya and Mehmet Akif Ersoy will be presented to the audience blended with dance performances. The aim of the performance will not only be to remind people of that night but also to draw attention to the importance of national values and shared memory.

The stage performance will also draw attention to the isolating and identity-stripping effects of social media and the digital world on humans. The message that the strongest safeguard against this degeneration is the nation's deep-rooted history, shared memory, and national values will be conveyed with an impressive narrative. Additionally, as part of the program, an award ceremony will be held for the theme competition organized by the Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı for middle and high school students. At the ceremony organized in collaboration with the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality and the Kocaeli İl Milli Eğitim Müdürlüğü, students who rank in the painting, poetry, story, poster, photography, slogan, and short film categories will be presented with their awards. This competition is of great importance in terms of transferring the spirit of 15 Temmuz to the younger generations and keeping the national memory alive.

The commemoration program will conclude with a call to prayer that will be read at 00:13 in all mosques in Kocaeli, just as across all of Turkey, on the occasion of the 15 Temmuz Democracy and National Unity Day. The call to prayer, which will also be read at Milli İrade Meydanı, will have symbolic importance in ensuring that what happened that night is not forgotten. In this final moment of the program, participants will send their prayers to the souls of the martyrs, sharing the sorrow and pride of the night together. After the event concludes, the safe return of citizens to their homes will once again demonstrate how valuable the democracy and peace won on 15 Temmuz are. This comprehensive organization in Kocaeli points to an exemplary model in keeping the spirit of 15 Temmuz alive and passing it on to future generations.