Our university organized a "15 July Democracy and National Unity Panel" to raise awareness of democracy and highlight the importance of national will on the 10th anniversary of the 15 July Democracy and National Unity Day.  

The program held on July 13, 2026, at the Hoca Ahmet Yesevi Cultural Center, began with a moment of silence and the reading of the National Anthem. The panel was attended by Kastamonu Deputy Governor Ahmet Atılkan, our Vice Rectors, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Atalan and Prof. Dr. Ömer Küçük, and our academic and administrative staff.  

At the panel titled "The Will is Ours, Democracy is Ours," the national will, national sovereignty, democratic culture, and the place of July 15 in collective memory were discussed from different perspectives. In the program, the struggle for democratization from the historical process to the present was evaluated from an academic perspective, and the importance of transferring the consciousness of democracy to future generations was emphasized.  

The panel was moderated by Prof. Dr. Mehmet Serhat Yılmaz, a faculty member of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Delivering the opening speech, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz began his remarks by commemorating the martyrs and veterans of July 15.  

Stating that July 15 is one of the most important turning points in Turkish history, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said that throughout history, the Turkish state has faced various treason attempts, and similar threats may emerge in the future. Emphasizing that the will of the people was manifested on the night of July 15, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz said that the coup attempt aimed to damage not only the democratic order but also the common memory and the spirit of unity of the nation.  

Stating that Türkiye should evaluate this treacherous coup attempt in all its aspects and convey it correctly to future generations, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz noted that three basic wills came to the fore on the night of July 15. He stated that the three basic elements of this process were the call of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the people to come to the squares, the people coming to the squares to protect their homeland and standing against the coup plotters, and the resolute struggle of the state institutions.

Stating that the 10th anniversary of July 15 is important for the development of national consciousness and collective memory, Prof. Dr. Yılmaz emphasized that what is experienced today will constitute an important part of the state's memory in the future, highlighting that national historical consciousness and collective memory are the foundation of the future.

The first speaker of the panel, Assist.Prof.Dr.  Murat Yılmaz from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences addressed the historical development of the concept of national will in his presentation titled "National Will and National Sovereignty from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic," covering the process from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic. 

Starting his speech by commemorating the martyrs and veterans of July 15, Assist.Prof. Dr. Murat Yılmaz stated that the Turkish understanding of the state has a deep-rooted tradition and evaluated the fundamental values of state governance and the concept of power, using examples from Turkish and world history. He shared his evaluations with the participants regarding the place of the principle of national sovereignty in the Turkish state tradition, its reflections on the philosophy of the Republic's establishment, and the historical foundations of the understanding of democratic governance. 

The second speaker of the panel, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Şerif Demir, evaluated the effects of military interventions throughout the history of the Republic on Türkiye’s democratic development from a historical perspective in his presentation titled "Military Coups in the Republican Era and July 15." 

Stating that there has been no civilian loss as great as that of July 15 among the military coups in the history of the Republic, Prof. Dr. Demir said the Turkish nation does not shy away from any sacrifice for the homeland. 

Prof. Dr. Demir academically evaluated the aspects that distinguish the treacherous coup attempt on July 15, 2016, from other military interventions, the nation's will to defend democracy, and the turning point this process created in Türkiye's democratic history. 

Emphasizing the importance of a democratic constitution that will guide society into the future, Prof. Dr. Demir stated that the current constitution, despite numerous changes, does not fully meet today's needs. Emphasizing that the constitution and laws play a decisive role in the democratization process, Prof. Dr. Demir said that the regulations to be prepared should be created with an understanding that encompasses all segments of society. 

The panel concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to the speakers and a commemorative photo taken in memory of the day.