Istanbul municipality starts construction of ‘martyrs’ cemetery’ for victims of coup attempt

Cansu Şimşek – ISTANBUL

The Istanbul Municipality has started the construction of a “martyrs’ cemetery” for those who died during the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt, believed to have been masterminded by the movement of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen. 

The “July 15 Martyrs’ Cemetery” is being built near the Edirnekapı Martyrs’ Cemetery in Istanbul’s Edirnekapı neighborhood. 

A total of 16 people who died during the thwarted coup are buried in the area, which will be turned into a special cemetery. As part of the project, the municipality will construct symbolic graves for those whose graves are in different parts of Istanbul and Turkey. 

The cemetery will be opened on the first anniversary of the foiled coup. 

The grave of the youngest person killed by the coup plotters is also in the “martyrs’ cemetery.” Halil İbrahim Yıldırım, 15, was killed after going out onto the streets to protect the Bayrampaşa police headquarters with his father. His organs were donated by his family. 

The grave of Yılmaz Ercan, 40, who was shot while heading on his motorcycle to the Bosphorus Bridge, which was renamed after the coup bid as the “July 15 Martyrs’ Bridge,” is also in the cemetery. 

Ercan was heavily wounded after being shot by soldiers and succumbed to his wounds after the soldiers did not allow anyone to help him. 

A total of 249 people, 94 of whom are in Istanbul, were killed and 2,193 were wounded on the night of the failed coup attempt.