Democracy and National Unity Day

On the night of 15 July 2016 an attempted coup took place in Türkiye. Answering the call, hundreds of thousands of citizens poured into streets, squares and bridges carrying flags and defended the lawful government and democracy. That night 251 people were killed and thousands were wounded.

Afterwards Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge was renamed the 15 July Martyrs' Bridge, and a memorial bearing the names of the fallen and a museum were built on its Anatolian side. The 15 July Democracy Museum opened in Ankara.

A day of unity

Since 2017, 15 July has been marked in Türkiye as Democracy and National Unity Day. The martyrs are remembered, national unity marches fill the squares, giant Turkish flags are hung on the bridges and the nation's spirit of unity is celebrated.