Turkey: Coup commemoration events throughout country July 11- 15

Event

The first anniversary of the July 15, 2016, coup attempt is to be commemorated with several events scheduled across Turkey, beginning on Tuesday, July 11, and ending on Saturday, July 15, which has been designated a national public holiday (the anniversary of Democracy and National Solidarity Day). President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit the graves of government loyalists killed in the coup from Tuesday to Saturday, when a commemorative event will be held in the Turkish Parliament. Parliament will convene at 13:00 (local time) and representatives of all four parties will hold the floor for ten minutes. After the parliamentary commemoration event, President Erdogan will travel to Istanbul to address participants of the "National Unity March" at Martyrs Bridge, where soldiers participating in the attempted coup staged a protest in 2016. Erdogan will return to Ankara to make a speech at parliament at 02:37 on Sunday, July 16, the exact time the attempted coup is said to have peaked. Vigils will also be held at other symbolic sites on July 15, including Mürted Air Base (formerly Akinci Air Base) and Istanbul Ataturk International Airport. Increased security measures and associated transportation disruptions should be expected at all coup commemoration events in the coming days.

Additionally, tensions between pro- and anti-government groups are likely to be particularly high in the run up to, and on the anniversary of the coup, which could lead to clashes or a violent crackdown by security forces. Although the three-week "March for Justice," protesting against the crackdown on dissent associated with the state of emergency in effect since the failed coup, concluded peacefully with a rally notable for its lack of violence on July 9 in Istanbul, organizers of the march have vowed to continue holding protests and rallies until their demands are met. Clashes between opponents and supporters of the government, or between protesters and security forces, are possible in the likely event of future demonstrations critical of the Erdogan administration or the ongoing state of emergency.

Context

On July 15, 2016, members of the Turkish military launched an attempted coup d'état against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Large crowds, which reports indicated were largely opposed to the coup, gathered in Ankara, Istanbul, and other cities across the country, confronting soldiers and tanks. Some 300 people, including civilians, were killed in the ensuing violence.

Tensions have since been heightened across the country. Critics of Turkey's state of emergency, implemented after the failed coup, cite a heavy-handed crackdown on opposition elements across the country under the guise of national security. Over 50,000 people have been arrested under the state of emergency, including over 170 journalists and a dozen lawmakers. Over 140,000 public workers have been fired, including tens of thousands of civil servants, prosecutors, and teachers, and several thousand academics.

A constitutional referendum in April granting Erdogan additional powers has exacerbated the country's already-heightened sociopolitical tensions. Meanwhile, Turkey has suffered repeated bombings and other attacks since the establishment of Islamic State (IS) in neighboring Iraq and Syria, as well as since the 2015 collapse of a long-term ceasefire between the government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy. In recent months, the Turkish military has intensified its airstrikes and military operations against the PKK.

Advice

Individuals in Turkey are advised to avoid all demonstrations and rallies, follow any instructions issued by the local authorities, and carry proper identification at all times (e.g. passport).
Due to the prevailing threat of terrorism, report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and maintain a high degree of vigilance, especially when visiting sites deemed particularly vulnerable to an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, festivals, etc.). Some Western governments advise against travel to areas along the Syrian and Iraqi borders.