Dozens of hot air balloons rose over the fairy chimney landscapes of Cappadocia this July 15 in memory of the martyrs of the failed coup d’état perpetrated on July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 dead and more than 2,200 wounded, and which has been remembered every year since then during the so-called Democracy and National Unity Day.
As every day, a large number of hot air balloons were prepared around the town of Göreme in Nevşehir to rise at dawn over Cappadocia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Turkey’s top tourist destinations. But on the occasion of 15 July, this time Turkish flags and banners were hung from the balloon baskets, remembering the heroes who fought against the coup plotters eight years ago.
One of the most striking images was that of a large heart-shaped balloon with the word “Türkiye” (Turkey) written on it, designed and built by a local company, from which hung a banner with a photograph of Sergeant Ömer Halisdemir, one of those killed on the night of 15 July for opposing the coup; above his image was the message “On the Day of Victory of Democracy and Remembrance of Martyrs: we have not forgotten, we will not forget”.
Speaking to Turkish media, Alper Çetin, the pilot of the heart-shaped balloon that flew over Cappadocia, said that the memory of what happened eight years ago during the failed coup in Turkey is still fresh in the minds of the Turkish people. “We are flying on July 15 for Democracy and National Unity Day. We are carrying out this balloon flight to honour our martyrs, who lost their lives in the treacherous coup attempt, and to make sure that it is not forgotten.”
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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