July 15, 10 years on: Turkiye’s will, Turkiye’s victory
The night of July 15, 2016, began like any other evening—but ended as a turning point in Turkiye’s modern history. It was a night of
The night of July 15, 2016, began like any other evening—but ended as a turning point in Turkiye’s modern history. It was a night of betrayal and defiance, fear and courage, but above all, a night when the strong will of the people determined the course of a nation. The night of July 15 was etched in our nation’s collective memory as one of the longest nights but also one of the greatest epics in Turkiye’s glorious history. It has been 10 years since the nefarious coup attempt of July 15 carried out by the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), which was foiled by our beloved nation’s honourable, courageous and heroic stance. It was the Turkish nation itself that proved decisive in repelling the existential threat of July 15 – a nation that recognises no power above its own will, and that demonstrated its readiness to lay down its life in defence of its state and democratic achievements. The Turkish nation and government turned this threat into a victory. The steadfastness of its institutions and the collective will of its people transformed the darkest night into a defining moment of national resilience. Far from faltering, Turkiye emerged from that not weaker, but stronger — ushering in a new era marked by strategic empowerment. In the aftermath of the FETO-led failed coup, Turkiye embarked on a new era of transformation powered by its strong past. Turkiye has significantly expanded its diplomatic footprint, global reach and influence since July 15. As a result of its deepening and widening comprehensive policies, Turkiye has spawned the third-largest diplomatic network globally, with 264 missions. This expansion is not merely a statistic, but a reflection of Turkiye’s determination to shape, not just observe, global events, prioritising regional peace and security through peaceful resolution and mediation, and regional ownership. As our Foreign Minister HE Hakan Fidan underscored several times, dialogue and diplomacy are needed now more than ever. This region can — and will — take ownership of its own challenges and resolve them together. Today, Turkiye conducts a diplomacy that thinks globally but acts locally in every corner of the world by availing of several complementary political, economic, humanitarian, and cultural tools. Turkiye navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and the disastrous earthquake of 2023 successfully.
The nation’s economy has defied global trends, growing steadily and retaining its place among the world’s 20 largest economies. Exports reached a record $273bn in 2025. This figure is expected to be over $400bn in 2026. With a population of 85 million, Turkiye has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita that has exceeded $19,000. Turkiye has witnessed an increase in tourists from all parts of the world, as it was and will remain one of the favorite travel destinations, hosting nearly 64 million tourists in 2025. With this number, Turkiye has become the fourth-most-visited country around the world. Turkiye has also become a leading humanitarian power, ranking first globally in humanitarian aid as a percentage of GDP, and is recognised as the world’s most generous nation based on per capita spending. Together with its diplomatic activism and economic dynamism, Turkiye has strengthened its national defence capabilities with unprecedented speed and success. Turkiye’s defence industry has become a global leader with a research and development budget nearing $3bn, over 80 percent domestic production, and a project portfolio exceeding $100bn. At the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) 2025, Turkiye unveiled 26 new defence products. Among the highlights was the debut of Tayfun Block 4, Turkiye’s first domestically produced hypersonic ballistic missile, alongside the steel dome intensified air defence concept. Most recently, at the SAHA 2026 Defence and Aerospace Exhibition held in Istanbul, Yildirimhan – the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed by the Ministry of Defence – was unveiled. Iconic platforms such as the Akinci and Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the amphibious assault ship TCG Anadolu, the fifth-generation fighter jet KAAN, and the supersonic trainer Hurjet are no longer just national milestones—they are strategic assets reshaping regional dynamics. The growing prominence of UAVs has transformed modern warfare. In this domain, Turkish UAVs have not only demonstrated their efficacy in various Turkish military operations, but have also attracted international attention, leading to exports to several countries. Turkiye accounts for 65 percent of the global UAV export market and is home to the world’s biggest drone manufacturer. As recently stated by HE Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of the Republic of Turkiye, “from the depths of seas to the vastness of space, Turkiye is a country capable of developing and producing its own software, platforms and systems bearing its unique signature at every level”.
The BriefWire