15.07.2024 08:20
It has been 8 years since the treacherous coup attempt on July 15th. During the coup attempt, which can be considered as the longest night in the history of the Republic, 252 soldiers and civilians were martyred by members of the organization, and an exemplary national stance was displayed throughout the country. So, what happened hour by hour that night? Here are the details.
On July 15, 2016, around 2:00 PM, a major stationed at the Air Force Command went to the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Campus in Yenimahalle and reported a coup attempt. Upon the report, MIT Undersecretary Hakan Fidan went to the General Staff Headquarters. In the critical meeting, it was learned that 3 helicopters from the Air Force Command would make unauthorized flights. It was decided to investigate the information and detain the suspects. The exit of tanks and armored vehicles from the barracks was prohibited. Military flights were canceled until further notice.
THEY MOVED THE COUP HOUR EARLIER
That night at the General Staff Headquarters, there were undercover enemies in uniforms who were following what was happening. There were also high-ranking coup plotters around the Command Cadre. With Fidan's arrival, it was understood that the coup plan was compromised, and they made a critical decision. They moved the coup hour earlier from 03:00 AM.
AKAR DID NOT SIGN THE COUP DECLARATION
After Hakan Fidan left, the coup plotters stormed the office of the Chief of General Staff, General Hulusi Akar. They informed him that the coup had begun. However, Hulusi Akar reacted strongly to this situation. He refused to sign the coup declaration presented to him. As a result, he was choked with a belt and detained. He was taken to the Akinci Air Base. The coup plotters also took the Second Chief of General Staff, General Yasar Guler, hostage in the same way.
DEATH ORDER FROM WHATSAPP GROUP
At 9:14 PM, a WhatsApp group named 'Yurtta Sulh' (Peace at Home) was created to coordinate the coup attempt. In the group's messages, an order to crush and kill civilian citizens was given. At 9:23 PM, a group of coupist soldiers left the Kuleli Military High School. The coupist soldiers reached the bridge at 9:52 PM. They blocked the route to the European side with military vehicles.
FIRST STATEMENT FROM THE PRIME MINISTER
Everyone was questioning what was happening. The first response came from Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who appeared live on television. Yildirim said, "We are considering the possibility of an uprising. Obviously, there is an unlawful action by some individuals within the military without the chain of command. Let our citizens and our nation know that no activity that will harm democracy will be allowed." Meanwhile, a phone call was made to the Istanbul Police Department, stating that martial law had been declared and the then police chief Mustafa Caliskan and his team were asked to surrender.
LOW-FLYING AIRCRAFT IN ANKARA
At 10:00 PM, fighter jets started low-flying in Ankara. The National Intelligence Organization was one of the most important targets for the coup plotters. FETO-affiliated pilots started scanning the MIT campus in Yenimahalle with helicopters. Istanbul Ataturk Airport was also busy. A group of coupists came to the airport with tanks and occupied the Control Tower. They halted air traffic. At 11:00 PM, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality building became the target. The coup plotters who stormed the building opened fire on the civilian population resisting them. 14 people were killed by the bullets fired by the coupists.
ASSAULT ON TRT
Another critical institution occupied by the coup plotters was TRT (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation). A pirate declaration was read in the early minutes of July 16. As a result, TRT's broadcast was stopped via TURKSAT.
AFTER ERDOGAN LEFT, THEY ATTACKED THE HOTEL
At the same time, President Erdogan, who was on vacation in Marmaris, headed towards Ataturk Airport. Shortly after the President left, helicopters carrying the coup plotters attacked the hotel in Marmaris. In the ensuing clash, some of the President's special operations police guards were martyred.
PLANES BOMBED
After a while, planes took off from the Akinci Air Base, which was one of the centers of the coup, and rained death on dozens of people. They bombed the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Gölbaşı Police Special Operations Department, the Ankara Police Headquarters, and TURKSAT. Dozens of civilian citizens and special operations police officers were martyred. Another target of the coup plotters was the Commander of the Air Force, General Abidin Ünal. Including Ünal, 17 generals were detained while attending a wedding at the Moda Deniz Kulubu.
PRESIDENT CHALLENGED THE COUP PLOTTERS
The turning point of the night was when President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called a television program. Erdogan said, "I invite our people to the squares of our provinces. I invite them to the airports, and let us gather as a nation in the squares and airports. Let this minority group come with their tanks and cannons, let them do whatever they want to the people there, I have never seen a power above the power of the people until today." This call triggered the resistance of hundreds of thousands of people who flooded the streets and squares against the coup plotters. One of the biggest symbols of this resistance was displayed on the bridges. The coup plotters were firing long-barreled guns at the civilians coming to the Bosphorus Bridge.
PRAYERS ECHOED FROM MOSQUES
The Presidency of Religious Affairs instructed all mosques in Turkey to recite prayers.The Grand National Assembly stood firm against the coup plotters. Members of Parliament in Ankara rushed to the Assembly. The General Assembly hall was opened. The treacherous coup plotters who followed this resistance bombed the Assembly.
ÖMER HALİSDEMİR CHANGED THE COURSE OF THE COUP PLAN
One of the most striking moments was taking place at the Special Forces Command Headquarters. Semih Terzi, who was chosen as the Commander of the Special Forces in the coup, came to seize the Headquarters from Silopi, Şırnak at 02:16. However, non-commissioned officer Ömer Halisdemir changed the course of the coup plan by shooting Terzi. The coup plotters, who learned that the President had left Marmaris, took action. F-16s loaded with bombs took off to hit the plane carrying President Erdoğan.
CIVILIANS WERE FIRED UPON AT AKINCI BASE
The people gathered around the Akıncı base to prevent the coup plotters from taking off their planes. Gunfire was opened at the crowd gathered around the base, and 5 people were martyred. Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım gave the order for all military aircraft to land, and those that did not comply were to be shot down. Meanwhile, the coup plotters' planes were searching for the ATA plane carrying President Erdoğan. The coup plotters' F-16s could not determine the route and location of the ATA plane. When the clock showed 03:20, President Erdoğan safely landed at Istanbul Atatürk Airport. He appeared before the press 1 hour later. Erdoğan said, "There is no power above the nation. This is an uprising, a treacherous act of betrayal to the homeland. They will pay a heavy price for this." At that moment, a military helicopter and a low-flying F-16 fighter jet harassed them.
As the morning hours progressed, the coup plotters began to lose their psychological advantage. However, the danger had not yet been completely overcome. A bomb was thrown at the Presidential Complex at around 06:30 in the morning. A TOMA vehicle in the Istanbul Strait was hit by tank fire.
The treacherous coup plotters attacked with tanks and rifles belonging to the nation's army. However, the people were in the squares to protect democracy in all 81 provinces of Turkey. The entrances to the barracks were closed with municipal trucks to prevent the tanks from leaving. Friendly planes taking off from Eskişehir hit the runways at the Akıncı Base.
THE COUP PLOTTERS LOST, THE NATION WON
The General Command of the Gendarmerie was cleared of the coup plotters at around 08:30 in the morning. Chief of General Staff General Hulusi Akar and detained high-ranking commanders were rescued.
In a statement, MIT said, "The systematic operation is over, we have moved on to the final operation, it will be completed in 1-2 hours." Most of the civilians and soldiers who were the planners and implementers of the coup were captured and detained.
252 MARTYRS
In the coup attempt, which was brought under control in approximately 21 hours throughout the country, 252 people, including soldiers and civilians, were martyred by members of the organization. Approximately 9,000 military personnel, 35 aircraft, 37 helicopters, 74 tanks, 246 armored vehicles, and nearly 4,000 light weapons were used, according to records.
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