Döper om bron efter kuppförsökets ”martyrer”

The 15 July Martyrs Bridge (Turkish: 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü, formerly named the Bosphorus Bridge and also called the First Bosphorus Bridge or simply the First Bridge (Turkish: Boğaziçi Köprüsü, 1. Boğaziçi Köprüsü or Birinci Köprü), is one of two suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: Boğaziçi) in Istanbul, Turkey; thus connecting Europe and Asia (the other one is the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, which is called the Second Bridge). The bridge extends between Ortaköy (in Europe) and Beylerbeyi (in Asia). It is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge with steel towers and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck hangs on zigzag steel cables. It is 1,560 m (5,118 ft) long with a deck width of 33.40 m (110 ft). The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m (3,524 ft) and the total height of the towers is 165 m (541 ft). The clearance of the bridge from sea level is 64 m (210 ft). Upon its completion in 1973, the 15 July Martyrs Bridge had the fourth-longest suspension bridge span in the world, and the longest outside the United States (only the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge and Mackinac Bridge had a longer span in 1973). The 15 July Martyrs Bridge remained the longest suspension bridge in Europe until the completion of the Humber Bridge in 1981, and the longest suspension bridge in Asia until the completion of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Second 15 July Martyrs Bridge) in 1988 (which was surpassed a year later by the Minami Bisan-Seto Bridge in 1989.) Currently, the 15 July Martyrs Bridge has the 25th-longest suspension bridge span in the world. After a group of soldiers took control and partially closed off the bridge during the military coup d'etat attempt on July 15, the Prime Minister announced on July 25 the decision of the Cabinet of Turkey that the bridge be renamed to 15 July Martyrs Bridge in memory of those killed while resisting the attempted coup.

On 15 July 2016, a coup d'état was attempted in Turkey against the government but ultimately failed. The attempt was performed by a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces that was organized under a council called the Peace at Home Council. The council attempted to seize control of several key places in Ankara, Istanbul, and elsewhere, but failed to do so after forces loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the cabinet of Binali Yıldırım defeated them. The motives behind the attempt remain unclear. The council cited an erosion of secularism, the elimination of democratic rule, a disregard for human rights, and Turkey's loss of credibility in the international arena as reasons for the coup. The government blamed soldiers linked to the Gülen movement—a group designated as a terrorist organization by the Erdoğan government and led by Fethullah Gülen, an exile — and some members of the Turkish government and pro-government media have accused the U.S. government of secretly backing the plot. Gülen has condemned the coup and denied any involvement. He instead accused the Turkish president of staging the event as a false flag operation in an attempt to legitimise further curbs to civil liberties and purges to the judiciary and military, as well as to increase support for an executive presidency. The attempt had several consequences domestically. During the coup, over 300 people were killed and more than 2,100 were injured. Many government buildings, including the Turkish Parliament and the Presidential Palace, were damaged. Mass arrests followed, with at least 6,000 detained, including at least 2,839 soldiers and, for reasons that remain unclear, 2,745 judges. Fifteen thousand education staff were also suspended and the licenses of 21,000 teachers working at private institutions were revoked as well after the government alleged they were loyal to Gülen. Reactions to the event were largely against the coup, both domestically and internationally. The main opposition parties in Turkey condemned the attempt, while several international leaders—such as those from the United States, NATO, and the European Union—called for "respect of the democratic institutions in Turkey and its elected officials." International organizations expressed themselves against the coup as well. The United Nations Security Council, however, did not denounce the coup after Egypt, a non-permanent member of the Council, objected to language used in the proposed draft.