Speaking to hundreds of thousands of people at a massive ceremony on Saturday in Istanbul, Erdogan urged vigilance against lurking enemies and declared that last summer's bloody ordeal emboldened the nation.

"This experience has unified us, made us stronger," the President said. "This wasn't the first attack against our nation and it's not going to be the last attack either."

"We know who is behind these terrorists. However, there's also the fact that if you do not combat and fight against these pieces we cannot fight and overcome those who are manipulating them. Therefore, we are going to behead these traitors."

"If parliament passes a bill on resuming executions in Turkey., he said, "I will sign it." If Turkey does so it would likely scuttle its longtime effort to join the European Union, whose member countries have abolished the death penalty.