Three years have passed since the coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016. Having condemned the coup attempt in a rather formalistic way, the international community immediately focused on the measures taken by the Turkish state against the perpetrators of the coup attempt and did not pay enough attention to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) that orchestrated this coup attempt, which killed 250 innocent civilians and security personnel, and left thousands injured.

On July 16, 2019, SETA Brussels will organize a panel titled “Three Years After the Coup Attempt in Turkey – The Need for a Better Understanding of The Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO)” in cooperation with the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Belgium H.E. Levent Gümrükçü and with the Anadolu Agency at the Press Club Brussels Europe.

The panel will draw attention to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETO) that orchestrated the coup attempt in 2016. FETO continues to pose a threat to both Turkey and the countries where it operates, as it still enjoys a large space for its malicious activities abroad, disguised in the fields of education and civil society. Academics and journalists from Turkey and Belgium who have written extensively on FETO will share their views and experiences to shed light on and raise awareness of this secretive organization.

The panel will begin with the opening remarks of H.E. Levent Gümrükçü, ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Belgium. Dr. Enes Bayraklı, coordinator of SETA Brussels, will moderate the panel. The panelists include Prof. Dries Lesage, Ghent University; Prof. Hilmi Demir, consultant at the Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV); and Dr. Veysel Kurt, Istanbul Medeniyet University.

After the panel, there will be an opening of an exhibition at the same venue featuring photographs taken by Anadolu Agency during the night of July 15, 2016.

Note: The panel will be held in Turkish and English. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in both languages.

Please confirm your attendance by July 10 via email to ozlem.yanar@mfa.gov.tr.