Istanbul traffic halted and transport rerouted for 15 July national commemorations

On 15 July, Istanbul authorities closed the 15 July Şehitler Bridge and a series of connecting roads in Beşiktaş and Üsküdar from 03:00 to 15:00 for the "15 July Democracy and Martyrs' Commemoration Run". Vehicular traffic on the D‑100 south (Beşiktaş‑Sarıyer) and north (Ümraniye‑Altunizade) sections was suspended, and several access points to the bridge were blocked. Metrobüs services were temporarily rerouted to use the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, with six stations (Burhaniye, Altunizade, Acıbadem, Uzunçayır, Fikirtepe and the bridge itself) closed to boarding and alighting. Public‑transport fares were waived in Istanbul, Antalya, İzmir and other major cities for the day.

Separate commemorations were held across Turkey. In Marmaris, Muğla, the 10‑year‑old niece of fallen Special Forces officer Gülşah Güler received a police special‑operations uniform, a symbolic gift that drew emotional reactions. In Tekirdağ’s Süleymanpaşa district, a vehicle pierced by a tank barrel during the 2016 coup attempt was displayed as a reminder of the night’s violence. The historic Meriç and Tunca bridges in Edirne were illuminated red and white, and the Karşıyaka Detention Supervision Directorate organized an an‑ı‑memorial program with visits to a war cemetery and a charity lunch. Metro İstanbul announced the start of summer fare rates and confirmed free public transport on 15 July.