ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The United States Embassy in Ankara has issued a warning for American citizens to avoid any demonstrations commemorating the one-year anniversary of the coup attempt in Turkey. The US Embassy posted a security message on its website on Wednesday for citizens living in or traveling to Turkey to refrain from attending any events scheduled to commemorate the first anniversary of the failed coup attempt which occurred last year on July 15. “The U.S. Mission to Turkey urges U.S. citizens traveling or residing in Turkey to exercise caution and avoid demonstrations and large gatherings. Even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and escalate into violence,” read the statement posted on the US Embassy’s website. The statement also noted that governmental and non-governmental groups will hold rallies and marches to commemorate “Democracy and Freedoms Day” across the nation. “Media sources state that the Parliament building and other government offices in Ankara, the July 15 Martyrs Bridge in Istanbul and other sites nationwide will host events. The Turkish authorities have yet to release a comprehensive list of all events, including times or locations. U.S. citizens should monitor local news reports and avoid areas where gatherings might occur, which can happen with little advanced notice,” it added. Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily News reported earlier this month that the country has scheduled several commemoration events to be held between July 11 and July 16 to mark the first anniversary of the July 15 coup attempt. “Our fundamental emphasis at the events will be to commemorate our martyrs, who took to the streets for their homeland, freedom, liberty and democracy, to fulfill all the needs of our veterans and to make the treacherous coup attempt, which we have experienced as a whole nation, to be remembered,” the Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın said on July 3. He also stated that all 81 provinces within Turkey will host commemoration events but the majority of activities will be held in Ankara and Istanbul. “Some of the events in Istanbul and Ankara will be attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, some will be attended by Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman, while some will be attended by Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and other ministers,” he added. It is also reported that Erdogan will launch a day-long “democracy watch” event to be held this Saturday, July 15 which will be similar to those held for two months after the coup attempt last year, Hurriyet reported. “There will be democracy watches upon a call by the president. He will also attend them,” Kalın said, encouraging mass participation for the event.
