July 15 Coup Attempt Mehmet Karaaslan

Mehmet Karaaslan

Mehmet Karaaslan went to the Bosphorus Bridge to resist against the coup attempt on July 15th. He was shot by terrorists disguised as soldiers. Karaaslan noticed he was injured a couple of minutes later and died a martyr’s death on the spot.

Karaaslan, who was from Diyarbakır, was 37 years old. He went to the Bosphorus Bridge after the call from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. At first, he did not notice he was shot and then as he collapsed was saying to the people around him, “I think I’m shot.” He was taken to the hospital by motorbike, but doctors could not save him.
Karaaslan tracked customs documentation in a private company. He had been married for 19 years with 3 children. His biggest passion was cars. He went to become a martyr with his favorite car.
Sevda Karaaslan, his wife, said that they did not send her husband’s body to his hometown of Diyarbakır, but instead buried him in the Kocasinan Graveyard.
The name of Martyr Mehmet Karaaslan was given to an Anatolian Imam Hatip high school in Bahçelievler, Istanbul.

Putschists raked the people with gunfire on The Bosporus Bridge
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Putschists raked the people with gunfire on The Bosporus Bridge
Yeni Şafak
Putschists first closed the Bosporus and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges. The events escalated by the time civilians flocked to the bridges. The putchists raked the people with gunfire on the bridge and they ran over vehicles with tanks. Erol Olçok and his son Abdullah Tayyip Olçok were shot first in the gunfire from the traitors. Many citizens were martyred, as the putschists opened fire randomly on the crowd.

The Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges on the night of July 15
13 PHOTOGRAPH
Civilians stopped a bus full of soldiers right before entering the bridge.

Civilians stopped a bus full of soldiers right before entering the bridge.

A group of soldiers blocking passage to the European side since the early hours of the evening opened fire on unarmed citizens who were marching to the bridges to resist to the coup attempt.

A group of soldiers blocking passage to the European side since the early hours of the evening opened fire on unarmed citizens who were marching to the bridges to resist to the coup attempt.

People flocked to the bridges being occupied by soldiers on President Erdoğan’s call.

People flocked to the bridges being occupied by soldiers on President Erdoğan’s call.

13	Both bridges were opened to traffic after police removed the tanks on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Bosporus Bridges.

13 Both bridges were opened to traffic after police removed the tanks on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Bosporus Bridges.

While FETÖ’s coup soldiers continued firing at the crowd, a tank and armored vehicles came on the bridge from the Beylerbeyi entrance on the wrong side of traffic.

While FETÖ’s coup soldiers continued firing at the crowd, a tank and armored vehicles came on the bridge from the Beylerbeyi entrance on the wrong side of traffic.

Units that hit the road on the instructions of the coup generals were carrying ammunition, including 10 tank shells, 2,000 MG3 bullet series, three boxes of ammunition for ZMAs and 5,000 bullets for armored personnel carriers.

Units that hit the road on the instructions of the coup generals were carrying ammunition, including 10 tank shells, 2,000 MG3 bullet series, three boxes of ammunition for ZMAs and 5,000 bullets for armored personnel carriers.

Soldiers controlling Bosporus Bridge during the coup attempt shot shells toward civilians and police.

Soldiers controlling Bosporus Bridge during the coup attempt shot shells toward civilians and police.

12	All soldiers who occupied the Bosporus Bridge during the July 15 coup attempt surrendered. The bridge was renamed the July 15 Martyrs Bridge with a Cabinet decree on July 25.

12 All soldiers who occupied the Bosporus Bridge during the July 15 coup attempt surrendered. The bridge was renamed the July 15 Martyrs Bridge with a Cabinet decree on July 25.

Six civilians, Erol Olçak and his 16-year-old son Abdullah Tayyip Olçok, were martyred in the first round of gunfire.

Six civilians, Erol Olçak and his 16-year-old son Abdullah Tayyip Olçok, were martyred in the first round of gunfire.

11	An anti-riot water cannon vehicle was shot and burst into flames.

11 An anti-riot water cannon vehicle was shot and burst into flames.

3	Two tanks and armored personnel carriers proceeded to seize the bridges. Four tanks, two armored personnel carriers and two armored combat vehicles were directed to Sabiha Gökçen Airport; four armored personnel carriers to the 1st Army Commandership; four armored personnel carriers to Acıbadem Telekom; and eight tanks, two armored personnel carriers and two armored combat vehicles to the Üsküdar riot police base.

3 Two tanks and armored personnel carriers proceeded to seize the bridges. Four tanks, two armored personnel carriers and two armored combat vehicles were directed to Sabiha Gökçen Airport; four armored personnel carriers to the 1st Army Commandership; four armored personnel carriers to Acıbadem Telekom; and eight tanks, two armored personnel carriers and two armored combat vehicles to the Üsküdar riot police base.

FETÖ coup soldiers closed traffic from the Anatolian to European Side of Istanbul on the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges.

FETÖ coup soldiers closed traffic from the Anatolian to European Side of Istanbul on the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges.

Civilians who were shot and injured were taken to hospitals in taxis, ambulances and sometimes motorcycles.

Civilians who were shot and injured were taken to hospitals in taxis, ambulances and sometimes motorcycles.

The Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges on the night of July 15
News of one of the bloodiest nights in Turkey, the July 15 coup attempt, first spread with the disturbance on the Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Bosporus Bridges. Citizens realizing that both bridges were occupied by traitor FETÖ soldiers resisted, saying: “We won’t surrender this land to you”, on the call of President Erdoğan to the public to claim the streets.

An emotional poem from Gizem to her father.

Gizem Karaaslan, the 12 year old daughter of Mehmet Karaaslan who was martyred during the coup attempt by FETÖ traitors, wrote a poem for her father titled “Martyr with a Big Heart”. Karaaslan said she declared her emotions towards her father in the poem, “I felt like he was with me because he is with me all the time. I would have thanked him for trying to protect his country, if my father was with me and had not died that night. I wrote the poem feeling that my father was with me. I hope he heard it.”

This is the poem titled “Martyr with a Big Heart” read by Gizem Karaaslan in tears:

How did they manage to knock over your body holding your big heart?

You are a martyr now, you flew to God like a bird

Without you, we are abandoned and without peace

You said ‘God’ and ‘Quran’, you ran towards the battlefield

They said ‘Here comes a hero’ that will save the country

Peace chants, victory cries heard from everyone in this country

Prayers did not stop, dad

Flags are not down

Where’s my father whose shadow I took shelter in

Where’s my father who would tear down mountains when he roars

Huge Hearted Martyr
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Huge Hearted Martyr
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Gizem Karaaslan, 12 year old daughter of Mehmet Karaaslan, who was martyred when the traitors opened fire on the Martyrs Bridge during the July 15th coup attempt staged by FETÖ, wrote a poem titled “Huge Hearted Martyr” for her father.