July 15 Memorial Museum, Istanbul: Over 1.5 Million Behold Martyrs’ Sacrificial Courage

At the invitation of the Turkish government, 200 journalists - 120 foreigners and the rest local - were in the Turkish commercial capital, Istanbul on Thursday, July 17, 2025. On the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the July 15, 2016 botched coup. Which was sponsored by the Fetullah Terrorist Organization, FETÖ. The journalists visited the July 15 Memorial Museum, Istanbul, which was commissioned in February 2019 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is located on the Anatolian side of the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, Istanbul. 

Istanbul’s Martyrs 
Taking the visitors around was Mohammed Ykor, an art historian. He said over 1.5 million people have visited the museum since it opened six years ago. Explaining that of the 253 martyrs who lost their lives in the coup, 35 were killed on the July 15 Martyrs Bridge. At the entrance to the museum, and surrounding a portion of the complex, are 253 cypress trees planted in memory of each of the 253 foiled coup martyrs. “The trees are a reminder of the sacrificial courage of unarmed civilians who stood in the way of the putschists successfully executing their plan,” the guide underscored. 

 Raised To Allah’s Presence
“All was well and normal in Istanbul in the morning of July 15, 2016 until the insurgents started attacking targets in the city later that night,” Ykor continued. Taking the visiting journalists to another section showing the history of early coups in the world - including those of Turkiye in 1960, 1980, and the bloody attempt of July 15, 2016. In yet another section are 95 pairs of shoes of some of the martyrs. Or the people who lost their lives trying to defend democracy. Some of the shoes are placed on a higher flight of stairs, signifying in traditional belief that the martyrs were raised to Allah’s presence. 

Martyrs’ Shoes
Also on display in the July 15 Memorial Museum are the remains of a civilian car smashed by an insurgent tank in front of the General Staff Building. And pock-marked glasses after they had been hit by rebel fire on July 15, 2016. The museum displays pictures and running videos of highlights of the coup; scenes of destruction following the attacks; pictures of the cruelty of imperialist-led slave trade across the world… Nine years after FETÖ's coup attempt, the Istanbul 15 July Memorial Museum continues to remind visitors of the impacts of coups in Türkiye and around the world. 

Shackles Of Imperialism  
The museum spans two floors and houses numerous visual and auditory exhibits related to the coup, along with personal belongings of martyrs and veterans. The museum also features sections on global colonialism and the history of coups in Türkiye. According to Museum Director, Tuba Danis Ketanci, the museum was specifically designed as a place of memory.

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