RABAT / Khalid Majdoub / Anadolu Agency

The Turkish Embassy in the Moroccan capital Rabat on Wednesday marked the 10th anniversary of the foiling of the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016.

The event, organized on the occasion of 'Democracy and National Unity Day,' was attended by Turkish and Moroccan officials as well as members of the Turkish community residing in Morocco, according to an Anadolu reporter.

The embassy also organized a photo exhibition documenting the sacrifices of the Turkish people and their stance against the coup attempt.

In mid-July 2016, Turkey witnessed a failed coup attempt carried out by a limited number of military elements linked to the Gulen terrorist organization, who attempted to seize control of state institutions and security and media establishments.

The Turkish government declared July 15 of each year as 'Democracy and National Unity Day' in memory of 253 martyrs who died while repelling the coup attempt.

Turkish Ambassador to Morocco Mustafa Ilker Kilic said in a speech at the event that this day 'embodies the will of the Turkish people to defend democracy and state institutions.'

He added that 'the will demonstrated by the people on the night of July 15 is written in golden letters on the pages of history, and the will of the people will remain paramount in the future as well.'

The Turkish ambassador affirmed that 'the democratic epic written that night has become one of the strongest pillars of Turkey's project.'

He expressed gratitude to the Moroccan youth Jawad Marnou, who was martyred while repelling the coup attempt, saying that it is important to keep his name alive in the collective memory of the Turkish people.

He added that Marnou represents 'an important symbol of the relations between the Moroccan and Turkish peoples,' calling for his story to be immortalized and preserved.

In a statement to Anadolu, the Turkish ambassador said that the event aims to highlight the importance of 'Democracy and National Unity Day' and its implications, as well as to recall the sacrifices of those who stood against the coup attempt.

Moroccan Marnou is the only foreign martyr in the events of July 15, 2016, as he was shot by the coup plotters in Istanbul while participating in demonstrations against the coup attempt.