‘Democracy and Martyrs’ Rally in Yenikapı

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Democracy and Martyrs Rally was held under the auspices of Presidency, İstanbul Governoship and İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality in Yenikapı Square today (August 7).

Rallies, which were organized in protest of July 15 coup attempt were held in almost every city in Turkey including Bilecik, Antep, Diyarbakır, Ankara, Urfa in support of the rally.

People came to the square starting from 10:30 a.m. for the rally that started at 5 p.m.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Parliamentary Spokesperson İsmail Kahraman, Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Chair Devlet Bahçeli and Republican People's Party (CHP) Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu particiated in the rally.

The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chairs weren't invited to the rally.

Announcement was made to bear only the flag of Turkey.

A show of 240 janissary band members from Mehter Company of Turkish Armed Forces took stage before the rally.

Erdoğan greeted the audience with his wife, Emine Erdoğan.

Kılıçdaroğlu's wife, Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu didn't attend the meeting.

* Photo: Twitter

It started with National Anthem and prayers

The rally began at 6:10 p.m. with moment of silence for those who got killed in the July 15 coup attempt and the National Anthem.

Afterwards, the Qoran was read.

In the rally, the first speaker was Orçun Şekercioğlu, who got injured on the Bosphorus Bridge following the July 15 coup attempt.

MHP, CHP, AKP leaders, Parliamentary Spokesperson, Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar and the President Erdoğan delivered speeches in the rally.

All spekaers condemned the coup attempt and underlined the importance of democracy. While the CHP leader emphasized the principle of secularism and founding principles of the Republic in his speech, Erdoğan touched on capital punishment upon the crowd shouting for the penalty.

"I will approve it if the parliament passes the bill", reiterated Erdoğan as to the capital punishment. (BK/TK)