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Turkey's divisions on display on 'Day of National Unity'

Turkey's "Day of Democracy and National Unity" marking the defeat of last year's July 15 coup attempt turns into a celebration of the president and his Justice and Development Party.
People listen to the speech of Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of the attempted coup at the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, July 15, 2017. REUTERS/Osman Orsal     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RTX3BLUL

July 15 marked the first anniversary of last year's botched military coup in Turkey. The date has been officially deemed “Day of Democracy and National Unity," and the celebration ceremonies and commemoration of the “martyrs” who lost their lives during the turmoil on that night and during the early hours of July 16 revealed deep divisions within Turkish society. Those splits and further polarization exposed on the first anniversary of the failed putsch were accentuated by the two articles published in the British daily The Guardian.

One was by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan titled “Turkey, a year after the attempted coup, is defending democratic values.”

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