The “The Will is Ours, the Victory is Ours” stand, prepared for the 10th anniversary of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, was opened at VakıfBank Art Gallery with the participation of many guests. The stand brings together the traces of national will, struggle for independence and common memory; It invites its visitors to witness the turning points of the night of July 15 with its archive photographs, video displays, chronological narratives and experience-oriented spatial fiction.

Aiming to transfer the memory of July 15 to future generations, the stand covers the process from an ordinary evening to the historical resistance in which our nation defended democracy, with a multi-layered narrative. The stand design, supported by a projection room and digital content, not only provides information to visitors; It offers a powerful experience that makes you feel the atmosphere of what happened that night.

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said the following in his opening speech:

“There are some times that can never be erased from people’s memories. A day like this, July 15, is a turning point that will never be erased in our nation’s memory. That night, our beloved nation stood by the national will with the call of our President and strongly defended its democracy and independence. Our duty is not to forget this treacherous coup attempt, not to let it be forgotten, and never allow such an attempt again. Over time our civilization, many severe tests have strengthened the unity and solidarity of our nation. As the last chapter of these epics, July 15 has gone down in history with the unique sacrifices and heroism of our nation, young and old alike. On this occasion, I salute once again all our heroes and our beloved nation who defended the national will that night, and I commemorate all our martyrs with mercy and gratitude. They are our heroes who sacrificed for the future of our nation without blinking their eyes. “It is our common responsibility to pass on the courage they demonstrated to future generations. In this sense, I find the ‘The Will is Ours, the Victory is Ours’ stand launched by VakıfBank extremely valuable. July 15 is not only about commemorating one day, but always keeping alive the spirit of national unity and solidarity that was put forward on that night. “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the realization of this stand and salute our beloved nation.”

Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said the following in his speech:

“July 15 is not a date that can only be commemorated in a week, it is a common national effort that should be kept alive in memories at every period of the year and passed on to future generations. This problem is not only the common responsibility and common gain of public institutions, but also of 86 million people. In this sense, I wholeheartedly congratulate VakıfBank for hosting such a meaningful stand and everyone who contributed. If the coup-like invasion attempt on July 15 had been successful, God forbid, neither the peace of our country, nor our democracy, nor our economic independence would survive.” Our nation, with the courage, determination and foresight shown under the leadership of our President, defended the national will and wrote a great epic. Even though ten years have passed, our mission has not changed. We will not forget, we will not let others forget, and we will continue to tell the truth about what happened on July 15, to prevent similar betrayals from happening again. “I commemorate our veterans, wish them good health and well-being, and thank everyone who contributed to this meaningful organization.”

It is our common responsibility to transfer the spirit of July 15 to future generations.

Emphasizing the spirit of national unity and solidarity, VakıfBank General Manager Osman Arslan“July 15 is a historical turning point where our nation protects its independence, democracy and national will with all its life. It is our common responsibility to keep alive the legacy left to us by our beloved martyrs, not to forget the sacrifice of our veterans and to pass on the epic written that night to future generations. As VakıfBank, we see it as a valuable responsibility to carry this meaningful legacy to the future. With the ‘The Will is Ours, the Victory is Ours’ stand, it is a mere reminder of the meaning of July 15.” “We aimed to create a permanent memory area that keeps the spirit of national unity and solidarity alive. I believe that our stand will help our visitors understand that night more deeply and remember our common values.”

Each part of the exhibition offers a chronological narrative

The curator of the exhibition, Hasan Mert, made the following evaluation regarding the setup of the stand:

“This stand is not just a stand with photographs and documents; it is designed as an experience-oriented memory journey that takes the visitor into the night of July 15. Each part of the exhibition starts by telling an ordinary day and offers a chronological narrative extending to the common resistance of our nation. Our aim is to tell the events of that night, as well as to make them feel the atmosphere to the visitors and to create a strong experience that will keep the common memory alive.”

While the exhibition conveys the critical moments of the night of July 15 to visitors chronologically, it also respectfully remembers the sacrifices of our 251 martyrs and veterans.

The “Our Will, Our Victory” stand will continue to host visitors at VakıfBank Art Gallery until August 20, with its narrative that strengthens the national memory on the 10th anniversary of July 15.