Erdoğan on July 15 coup bid: Nobody to be able to bring Turkey to its knees

Turkey's president on Monday attended the inauguration ceremony of the police headquarters building in the capital Ankara, previously destroyed by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) during the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

Speaking during the unveiling ceremony in the capital Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stressed in his remarks [related to July 15 coup bid]: "No one will be able to bring this nation to its knees as long as we have institutions to protect Turkey's democracy."

"We are taking every precaution to prevent betrayals like July 15 from happening again,' Erdoğan added.

The president underlined in his comments that as long as Turkey had its soldiers, police, intelligence no one would attempt again to occupy the country.

On July 15, 2016, fighter jets flying low over Ankara bombed Turkey's Grand National Assembly, presidential complex, police headquarters and satellite operator Turksat.

Tanks and armored vehicles were also hijacked from military facilities and driven on the city streets in the capital.

The police headquarters was reopened by Erdoğan on the third anniversary of the coup bid.

"We are taking every precaution to prevent betrayals like July 15 from happening again," he added.

"On the night of July 15, the first institution targeted by the putschists was our police organization. Together with our Special Forces Command in Gölbaşı, the Ankara Police Department was subjected to heavy attacks by FETO scoundrels through the night. Every image that appears, every record the putschists thought they destroyed reminds us of the dimensions of the savagery that was inflicted here that night. These traitors were blinded by hatred to the point that they gave the order to 'shoot, kill, have no mercy, fire' against their own people and colleagues," the president said in a statement.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 in Turkey, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

- DELIVERY OF S-400 DEFENSE SYSTEMS
Erdoğan underlined that Turkey successfully purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems despite disbelief in its ability to do so.

"The S-400 delivery is going to be completed in April 2020 and our new goal is to be joint production with Russia," Erdoğan said.

Following protracted efforts to purchase an air defense system from the U.S. with no success, Ankara signed a contract in 2017 to purchase the Russian S-400s.

U.S. officials urged Turkey to buy U.S. Patriot missiles, arguing the Russian system would be incompatible with NATO systems and expose the F-35s to possible Russian espionage.

Turkey, however, emphasized the S-400 would not be integrated into NATO systems and would not pose a threat to the alliance.

Turkey has urged formation of a commission to clarify any technical issues, but the U.S. has failed to respond to the proposal.

The U.S. has threatened sanctions over the purchase, with Turkey responding that any sanctions would be met in kind.