Türkiye draped its landmark bridges with giant national flags over the weekend, as the country prepared to mark the 10th anniversary of the failed July 15, 2016, coup attempt orchestrated by the FETÖ terrorist organization.
One of the flags was unfurled on July 11 over the 15 July Martyrs Bridge in Istanbul, where 34 civilians were killed after soldiers linked to FETÖ opened fire during the coup attempt.
The bridge, formerly known as the Bosphorus Bridge, was officially renamed in honor of those who lost their lives resisting the putsch.
Turkish flags were also displayed on Istanbul’s Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Yavuz Sultan Selim bridges connecting the city’s European and Anatolian sides, as well as the Osmangazi Bridge in the northwestern province of Bursa and the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in the Aegean city.
On July 15, 2016, a faction tied to FETÖ within the Turkish military attempted to overthrow the government, deploying tanks and fighter jets in the capital Ankara and Istanbul while bombing key state institutions, including the Turkish parliament.
Civilians poured into the streets to confront the plotters, helping bring the coup to an end within hours. The violence killed 253 people and injured more than 2,700 others.
Turkish authorities say FETÖ spent years infiltrating key state institutions, including the military, judiciary and government ministries, placing loyalists in strategic positions.
In the aftermath of the coup attempt, tens of thousands of members were dismissed from public office or prosecuted as part of an extensive nationwide crackdown.
FETÖ founder Fethullah Gülen died in October 2024 at the age of 83 in Pennsylvania, where he had lived for more than two decades.
Speaking to the media on July 12, Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the group continues to seek survival by concealing itself through front companies, social networks and encrypted digital communication channels.
“The organization is currently striving to preserve its existence through its current organizational structure, financial network, overseas operations and covert cells,” Gürlek said.
The minister said authorities carried out 1,065 operations targeting FETÖ’s active network during the first half of 2026, adding that investigations and court proceedings against the group’s members remain ongoing.
To commemorate the anniversary, the Turkish government has planned nationwide events, including a special parliamentary session and more than 200 commemorative programs.
Museums in 54 provinces will host exhibitions and remembrance ceremonies and will welcome veterans of the coup resistance while hosting panel discussions.
