15 July Democracy Museum
On 15 July 2016, there was an attempted armed coup, masterminded by the FETÖ terror organization, which was an attack on our national will, our democracy, our independence and our peace and unity. This abominable act, which was a contravention of human rights, was the most traitorous event in the history of our country and the most brutal coup attempt. As a result of the bravery of our people, and their strong determination and decisiveness, the coup attempt was foiled and, as in all towns and cities around Türkiye, our citizens united against this betrayal and injustice, responding to the orders of our President by gathering in the 15 July Democracy Square to stand on Democracy Watch and protect our national will. Our people did not give in to this traitorous and brutal coup attempt, but instead heroically risked their lives in streets and squares around the country, with cries that only total independence would satisfy them. To this end, they became martyrs and veterans, and demonstrated to the entire world the meaning of patriotism and democracy.
Türkiye’s first “15 July Democracy Museum” established by Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality and located within Station Park on Station Square, opened its doors to visitors on 12 July 2017. All the museum walls reflect how the coup attempt disturbed and disrupted the flow of everyday life, and the atmosphere that we experienced ‘that day’ has been recreated spatially using irregular and asymmetric perspectives.
The aim of the 15 July Democracy Museum is not just to give facts and ideas, but to help visitors understand again the critical moments of this historical event. Rather than fixating on the past which is open to interpretation, the museum’s aim is to liberate visitors from the negative effects of the past and to put the emphasis on building a healthy future. By not forgetting the past, but learning lessons from it, visitors can start to take firm steps towards the future.
The museum exhibition is a timeline showing the whole course of the coup, starting with tanks closing the bridge right up to the official statement from the TBMM (Turkish National Assembly) on July 16 announcing the failure of the coup. Moments include the pirate public announcement broadcast by TRT 1 that night, the video FaceTime speech given by our President Recep Tayyip ERDOĞAN, the moment the people took to the streets backed by the call to prayer, and the civil resistance and fighting that intensified later in the night. By following the events chronologically using data from hundreds of telephones, tablets, televisions and security cameras, visitors gain a unique experience of that historical night and feel they are ‘witnessing’ events again.
Besides remembering the martyrs who gave their lives in the coup attempt, the 15 July Democracy Museum also has a different section with an exhibition of photographs of our local Gaziantep martyrs. On the outer wall of the museum, there is a memorial wall bearing the names of all 248 martyrs from the 15 July attempted coup.
The date 15 July, 2016 was the day that Türkiye showed the world the meaning of the word democracy, and the day that tank, bomb and bullet were defeated by faith.