ANKARA - Turkey is to rename a bridge over the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul after the victims of the failed July 15 coup bid aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister said on Monday. Pro-Erdogan supporters wave a Turkish national flag during a rally at the Bosphorus bridge in Istanbul on July 21, 2016The bridge, opened in 1973 and known until now simply as Bosphorus Bridge, will now be known as July 15 Martyrs' Bridge, Binali Yildirim told reporters after a late night cabinet meeting. Backed by attack helicopters, they fired on the crowds of pro-Erdogan supporters who converged on the bridge. The rebels eventually surrendered on the bridge after being overwhelmed by sheer numbers protesting. He said that the bridge had been chosen to be renamed as it was the "first target of the coup plotters" on the night of July 15, resulting in the deaths of several civilians.

Source: Bangkok Post July 25, 2016 21:45 UTC