Page - 130 - in Limina - Grazer theologische Perspektiven, Volume 2:1

130 | www.limina-graz.eu hande Birkalan-Gedik | muslim | martyr | masculine Erdoğan referenced historical events from Gallipoli and from the War of Independence with the hopes that the “contra-coup” becomes associated with the Kemalist victories. The pro-AKP newspaper Yeni Şafak (The New Dawn) published brief biogra- phies of those who were killed in a series named “Album of Martyrdom.” Yeni Şafak’s photo album showed men (it is almost always men) on top of a tank, adopting a rather phallic pose; some of them making hand gestures used by the ultra-nationalist Grey Wolves as a greeting, with the little fin- ger and index finger raised, but the middle and ring finger closed, touch- ing the thumb. Another man’s raised index finger signifies a more religious gesture of “shahada,” that is the witness who confirms the “unity” of God and acknowledges that Muhammed is His prophet. Shada is the root of the word “şehit” as it is used in Turkish for martyr. New Places of Memory After the attempted coup, several monuments have been erected to cele- brate the “victory” of the evening of 15 July 2016. Considering the limited scope of this paper, I will present a brief analysis of two monuments: first, the monument of 15 July Martyrs next to the formerly Bosphorus Bridge, which was renamed the 15 July Martyrs’ Bridge, on the Asian side. The round shape of the monument is a reference to “unity, oneness, and togetherness. It is a celebration of the Turkish nation as one.” One news- paper presented the declarations of the president and noted that a dome https://www.yeniasir.com.tr/cumartesi/2017/07/15/15-temmuz- fotograflari-81-ilde-vatandasla-bulusuyor [accessed on 2 November 2018]