Directorate of Communications of Republic of Türkiye and Embassy of Republic of Türkiye organized panel discussion “National Will and Democratic Resilience: The 10th Anniversary of 15 July” in the City Hall, Sarajevo.  

Such events are organized across the world to rewind challenges of defending the country from coup d’état. The aim was to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the subject, contribute to building a more resilient social structure against similar future threats by learning from the past, and strengthen cooperation and mutual understanding between countries.

As part of the events, photo exhibitions organised to introduce the memory of 15 July to international audiences in the host countries, and screenings of the documentary “Şafak Vakti (Daybreak)” are planned.

Eminent politicians and diplomats addressed, among them the member of Presidency of BiH Željko Komšić, chairman of the House of Representatives Denis Zvizdić, deputy chairman of the House of Peoples, Kemal Ademović, Head of Directorate of Communications Burhanettin Duran and Ambassador of Türkiye in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After introductory speeches, panelist took the floor.

Prof. dr. Admir Mulaosmanović, CEO of Aurora Foundation, stressed that Türkiye witnessed an intense political struggle between a sovereign political vision and a political elite partly dependent on foreign centers of power.

“Essentially, the malign effort aimed at subjugating and controlling Ankara in the way it was during the second half of the twentieth century has been evident over the past three decades. From the overthrow of Necmettin Erbakan’s government in 1997 to the most recent local elections in Türkiye, we have witnessed an intense political struggle between, on the one hand, a sovereign political vision rooted in the will of the people, and on the other, a political elite partly dependent on foreign centers of power and aligned with globalist interests.

By accepting that you are to be judged according to the standards and values of others, and by allowing yourself to be incorporated into an externally constructed image of the world that is then promoted as the only acceptable one, you also accept becoming the object of relationships that do not serve your interests. The Türkiye we are discussing possessed both the courage and the vision to reject such a framework and to persevere in what can be described as a distinctive Turkish democratic discourse. This discourse is characterized by self-determination, an independent system of values grounded in a recognizable cultural matrix, full sovereignty in decision-making, and openness to building regional and global partnerships beyond the previously entrenched global order. Unsurprisingly, this provoked malign actors who sought to destabilize Türkiye long before 2016—most notably during the events of 2013—as well as through a series of other political and security pressures to which the country was subjected.”

Prof. dr. Mulaosmanović said those who opposes the demand of “the world is bigger than five” perceived that as a threat to their neo-colonial interests. He believes that events of 15 July 2016 were foreseeable due to Türkiye’s geostrategic position and its abundant natural resources.

“The world is bigger than five” is not merely an observation; it is a demand that has resonated across much of the Muslim world as an expression of dignity and a refusal to accept a condition in which Muslim societies have little say over their own affairs, let alone global ones. Those who benefit from maintaining the existing order, however, perceived this demand primarily as a threat to their neo-colonial interests. In a world undergoing profound transformation, such circumstances could hardly have led to anything other than attempts to bring down a political project founded on sovereignty and guided by its own values.

For this reason, the events of 15 July 2016, however shocking they appeared, were in some ways also foreseeable. Türkiye’s potential, its geostrategic position, and its abundant natural resources have long represented—and continue to represent—a challenge to those who have exploited much of the rest of the world. When these assets are combined with a political vision aimed at progress through an independent national strategy, enriched by both national and the broader interests of the Muslim world, and potentially extended as a model across the Fertile Crescent during a period of global geopolitical realignment, they possess the power to bring about a genuine strategic transformation. More than that, in such an evolving international environment, the strength of any new actor entering the global arena must be acknowledged and respected accordingly.”