What happened on July 15, 2016?

July 15 marks the second anniversary of the defeated coup during which the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) -- a clandestine group organized under the guise of education which infiltrated state offices, especially the military, judiciary, civil service, and treasury, and which tried to take over the government -- attempted a coup in 2016.

The night of July 15, 2016, the coup attempt saw tanks closing down a bridge in Istanbul that connects Asia to Europe, and fighter jets and helicopters flying down over Istanbul and Ankara and bombing the presidential complex, parliament building, police and intelligence headquarters, while civilians came out to resist the coup.

Then-Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar was taken hostage by the putschists, as he said he would not support the coup bid.

During the defeated coup, a total of 251 people including police and civilians were martyred, and nearly 2,200 were wounded.

The coup attempt, orchestrated by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), led by the U.S.-based so-called “cleric” Fetullah Gulen, aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the government and capturing the state.

In a television appearance at 11.02 p.m., then-Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said it was a revolt and they were evaluating the possibility of a coup attempt. He added: “Those who are involved in this unlawful act will pay the heaviest price."

Speaking to CNN Turk at 12.24 a.m., President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said: “This incident, unfortunately, is the coup attempt of a minority within the Turkish Armed Forces. This is a revolt encouraged and used by the parallel structure (FETO) as its mastermind."

The president called on the Turkish people to take to the streets in order to stop the coup-plotters.

In response, people poured into the squares to protect democracy all around Turkey, especially in the capital Ankara and Istanbul, climbed on tanks, stood against guns, and defeated the heinous coup attempt.

In the legal process in the years since, in 194 cases concluded out of 289, a total of 2,381 people convicted of involvement in FETO have gotten jail terms, including 1,624 life sentences.