Digital Library of July 15th 15 July 2016 at 10:00

CARD NO 6

21:00

CRITICAL DEVELOPMENT Understanding that they had been unearthed, the coup-plotters took action.

2.1 ‘The Peace at Home Council’ takes action — After the extraordinary mobility at the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Headquarters and a meeting held at the General Staff, the coup-plotters realized that their plan for a coup had been uncovered. They applied an earlier time for the coup attempt, which they had planned to carry out at 03.00 a.m., July 16, and initiated all the phases of 'The Operation Lightning' plan.

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CARD NO 7

21:05

BREAKING POINT The coup makers succeeded in occupying the General Staff despite all the precautions.

2.2 Measures taken by the General Staff — The critical meeting on terror held at the General Staff Headquarters was interrupted by a notice from the MİT. After the meeting that followed the notice, procedures related to the flight ban, which was the first of the four instructions having been sent to all Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) units, were completed and 36 airplanes in the air were made to land in their fleets.
With the beginning of the coup attempt, hectic hours started at the General Staff Headquarters. First, some guards of Chief of General Staff General Akar's were shot. Akar’s aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Colonel Levent Türkkan, Akar’s Assistant Adjutant Lieutenant Serdar and armed soldiers serving for the Special Forces entered the room where Akar was and tried to arrest him. They tried to make Akar sign the coup declaration by force of arms. As Akar refused to sign the declaration, they strangled Akar’s neck with a belt this time. In the meantime, Deputy Chief of General Staff General Yaşar Güler was also taken hostage by an officer from his close team by force of arms.

The guarding staff of the Prime Ministerial Kızılay headquarters heard gunshots from the General Staff Headquarters and conveyed this information to the Prime Ministry Coordination Center around 09.35 p.m. Following this notice, the officials of the Armed Forces Command Operation Control Center (SKKHM) were called by the Prime Ministry and told that the gunshots stemmed from military exercises.

Following these extraordinary developments, Land Forces Commander General Salih Zeki Çolak called Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar. The person who picked up the phone was Akar’s aide-de-camp Lieutenant Colonel Levent Türkkan. Türkkan summoned Uyar to the headquarters, saying, “Our Chief of General Staff is waiting for you and especially our Land Forces Chief of Staff General İhsan Uyar to come to the headquarters.” After arriving at the headquarters, Çolak and Uyar were seized by coup-plotters at the entrance of the General Staff Headquarters. Senior Sergeant Bülent Aydın, who was trying to prevent this situation, was martyred by putschist soldiers. Also, Chief Guard Captain Burak Akın was injured. Bülent Aydın made history as the first martyr of the coup attempt.
General Hulusi Akar was taken by helicopter to the 4th Main Jet Base Command in Akıncı.

Video

Putschists lied saying there was a “drill” at the General Staff Building — Putschists lied saying there was a “drill” at the General Staff Building

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:02:16
The General Staff was one of the first targets of the coup. During the first minutes of the betrayal initiative, coup troops took to the air and land to take over the General Staff Building. While a group of coup soldiers tried to enter the General Staff from the door, the jets conducted low flights over the building. The Prime Ministerial security guards, who started to question the developments, began investigating the mobilization, but the response from the Armed Forces Command Operation Control Center was "a sudden military drill".

Video

Putschists arrive at the General Staff Headquarters — Putschists arrive at the General Staff Headquarters

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:06:36
The putschist traitors’ moment of entry into the General Staff building of the on July 15 was broadcasted for the first time. A few snippets of the 23-minutes video that was used in the indictment was shared with the press. The security cameras recorded the moments civilians tried to prevent the military coup and the putschists tried to seize the General Staff Headquarters.

STATEMENTS

Hulusi Akar

MARTYR

Bülent Aydın

CONFESSIONS

Levent Türkkan

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CARD NO 8

21:15

2.4 MHP’s first reaction to the coup attempt — After leaving the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) Headquarters, MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli went to his home. Seeing that fighter aircrafts were conducting low-altitude flights in the neighborhood he lived and that the Bosporus Bridge was closed in Istanbul, Bahçeli understood that something abnormal was taking place. He phoned his executive assistant and went to the party headquarters around 09.30 p.m.
Bahçeli met with the party’s general staff, chairmanship council and some Central Decision-Making Executive Board members at the party building and phoned Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım after a while. He said that the MHP would never accept such a coup and would side with the government and democracy. Prime Minister Yıldırım phoned Bahçeli after a short while.

PERSONAL

Devlet Bahçeli

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CARD NO 9

21:30

CRITICAL DEVELOPMENT After learning of the traitorous coup attempt, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan started managing the process.

2.5 Assassination attempt against President Erdoğan from Istanbul to Çiğli — President Erdoğan, who had been vacationing in Marmaris, learned that the extraordinary developments across the country was a coup attempt when his brother-in-law, Ziya İlgen, called him. Having learned of the traitorous coup attempt, he said “Bismillah” and performed prayer. Then he started managing the process.
When President Erdoğan learned of the traitorous coup attempt and started managing the process, coup-plotters took off with five helicopters from the Samandıra Military Air Base to support the coup attempt. One of the helicopters went to putschist soldiers who had been preparing for an assassination attempt against President Erdoğan at the Çiğli Main Jet Base. Meanwhile, four other helicopters took off toward the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Istanbul Police Headquarters, Vodafone Arena and Bosporus Bridge to provide logistical support to putschist soldiers in Istanbul.
When the support team that took off with helicopters from the
Samandıra Military Air Base arrived at the Çiğli Main Jet Base Command around 10.00 p.m., Combat Search and Rescue (MAK) and Underwater Research Association (SAD) teams started making preparations to raid the Marmaris hotel where President Erdoğan had been staying.

Video

Minister of Energy and Natural Resources recounted the coup and assassination attempt — Minister of Energy and Natural Resources recounted the coup and assassination attempt

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:05:15
A team of putschists headed to Marmaris on the night of the coup attempt to assassinate President Erdoğan, who was staying there on vacation. Berat Albayrak, who was with Erdoğan in Marmaris, recounts in great detail how the president learned of the coup attempt that night, his reacted and his every movement.

EXPLANATION

NOTE:PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN FIRST PERFORMED ABLUTION AFTER LEARNING OF THE COUP ATTEMPT

Days after the coup attempt, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak told what had happened in the Marmaris hotel where President Erdoğan had been staying on the night of the coup attempt. Speaking to the A Haber news channel, Albayrak expressed the horrific minutes as follows:

“We are talking about a leader and a government that have been subjected to continuous coup attempts, which started with the 2006 Council of State shooting and has continued with various methods. Our President managed this process in a very controlled and calm manner. Different warnings came from different people. We started contacting various public administrators. First, we talked to the prime minister. The coup attempt became evident in the upcoming minutes. Around 9.30 p.m. to 10.00 p.m., we understood that it was a coup attempt. Mr. President performed ablutions and prayer and initiated the process. Our President managed the process in a controlled manner. Similar to how [his unyielding stance in] Davos was represented in some way or other, we experienced many things in this process and walked toward the helicopter saying ‘Bismillah.’ Three helicopters were conducting exploration flights over us. Mr. Hasan Doğan displayed great heroism. We evaluated the alternatives.”

Grand Yazıcı Hotel boss Serkan Yazıcı, who spent Friday night with President Erdoğan until he left the Marmaris Hotel, spoke about that night as follows:

“That night, various route alternatives, including desolate ways of Marmaris, were offered to President Erdoğan. As I know the surroundings well, our President asked me, “Where can we go by sea in the fastest way?” I said we could go to Dalaman, but we would need to pass by the Aksaz Military Naval Base. He said it would not be possible and asked where else we could go. I said there were Greek islands at the closest distance and I could take him there. Despite having been calm until then, President Erdoğan lost his temper for the first time and said, ‘What do I have to do in Greek Islands? I am asking you how we can go to Istanbul.’

Actually, there was a single route to follow, and all others were blocked. We were discussing proposals for different routes. Despite all this, he never panicked and even relieved us. He never stepped back. I did not understand how he went. It requires great courage to go in such a horrific situation.”

Video

Erdoğan: My people are on the streets and I should be among them — Erdoğan: My people are on the streets and I should be among them

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:01:39
President Erdoğan explained what happened in Marmaris on the night of July 15. He took action as soon as he heard about the coup attempt. The president recalled the dialogue between him and hotel owner Serkan Yazıcı, who suggested to take him to Greece when they were discussing the route from the hotel.

Video

Assassination squad aiming for Erdoğan took off from Samandıra Air Base — Assassination squad aiming for Erdoğan took off from Samandıra Air Base

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:04:23
Putschist soldiers assigned an assassination squad to kill President Erdoğan on the night of July 15. The assassination squad took action with a helicopter from Samandıra Military Air Base to go to the hotel where Erdoğan was staying in Marmaris. One of the five helicopters from the Samandıra Military Air Base went to Marmaris, while putschists on the remaining four helicopters took off to Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Istanbul Security Directorate, Vodafone Arena and the Bosporus Bridge. The unsuccessful assassination squad later gathered here once again and fled to Greece with one of the helicopters.

EXPLANATION

NOTE:37-PERSON ASSASSINATION TEAM

The 37-person assassination team consisted of Combat Search and Rescue (MAK) teams of the 125th SAR Fleet at the Çiğli Main Jet Base and 12 commandos from the Underwater Defense (SAS).
Brigadier General Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş managed the raid on the hotel where President Erdoğan had been staying. After being arrested, Sönmezateş stated that the order had come from Special Forces Brigadier General Semih Terzi, arguing that they would first seize President Erdoğan and cabinet members and would bring them to the court.

MAPS

Turkey on the night of July 15 — Turkey on the night of July 15

On July 15, FETÖ members sent the so-called new 'appointments' they had prepared earlier to the coup leaders across Turkey's 81 provinces. There were military movements on the ground in more than 25 provinces .

CONFESSIONS

Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş

CONFESSIONS

Zekeriya Kuzu

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CARD NO 10

21:45

DETAIL People who saw the tanks on the Bosporus Bridge could not understand what was happening.

2.6 Occupation of strategic places in Istanbul — Crossing from the Anatolian side to the European side on the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges was closed to traffic by putschist soldiers. The traffic on the Anatolia-Europe direction was completely stopped. Military tanks were seen on the bridge.

Video

Putschists closed the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge to traffic — Putschists closed the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge to traffic

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:08:30
Putschist traitors’ first attacks were aimed at occupying places of strategic importance. Chief among these locations was the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge that came under their occupation. Putschists barred traffic from the bridge’s Asian side towards the European side by enforcing tanks. Putschists opened fire on civilians trying to foil their coup attempt by walking over the bridge.

Video

The first moves of the coup attempt — The first moves of the coup attempt

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:04:21
The night of the July 15 coup attempt began with the closing of the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges. Putschist soldiers came to the entrance of the Bosporus Bridge and blocked off traffic from the Anatolian to European side. Due to this, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım connected with the NTV broadcast and announced that it was an insurrection and all the putschists who direct their weapons at the nation will be dealt with in the same way.

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CARD NO 11

21:50

CRITICAL DEVELOPMENT Raids started to be carried out in line with the 'The Operation Lightning' plan

2.6 Occuppation of strategic points in Istanbul — Initiated within the framework of the 'Operation Lightning' plan, simultaneous raids on many centers in Istanbul began to take place. The first target of the putschists was the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM). Another goal of the putschists who raided the AKOM building to prevent intervention were the bridges that provided the link between European and the Asian side. The Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges were shut to traffic from the Asian to the European side. Soldiers declared 'martial law'.
Simultaneous to this, tanker aircrafts from the İncirlik Base in Adana took off in order to support the F-16 jets flown by putschists.
Another critical location targeted by the putschists was the Istanbul Governorate. Soldiers set out from the 47th Motorized Infantry Regiment in Esenler, to occupy the Istanbul Governor's Office.

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CARD NO 12

21:14

2.3 The communication network of ‘The Peace at Home Council’ — Putschist soldiers who actualized all phases of the coup plan created a chat group on WhatsApp to coordinate the coup attempt. The chat group was created by Squadron Leader Mehmet Murat Çelebioğlu, and correspondence revealed orders such as to “shoot civilians” and not to “compromise.” The instructions given to putschist soldiers included orders to make a bloody intervention against people and policemen who resist.
"Order to disperse the crowd with fire "
It was found that FETÖ members used blood-curdling expressions in their correspondence on the coup night and gave a clear order to disperse the resisting crowd with fire. Some of the itemized correspondence includes:
- Lieutenant Colonel Muzaffer Düzenli: “The second order I am conveying. The gathering crowd will be dispersed with fire.”
- Colonel Müslüm Kaya: “They are pulling heavy machinery to Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM). Friends are opening fire.”
-Colonel Uzay Şahin: “Respond with fire, do not move.”
- Major Mehmet Karabekir: “As someone on the field, I am opening fire on the crowd and waiting. Use it in a controlled way again and again. They are dispersing. Some 10 to 15 people are dead. Don’t ever use the initiative.”

Video

Order to close down bridges came over WhatsApp — Order to close down bridges came over WhatsApp

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:02:27
The soldiers coordinating the July 15 FETÖ coup communicated via a WhatsApp group called the “Peace at Home Council.” Orders were given over this group such as for soldiers to open fire on civilians and for fighter jets and helicopters to bomb targets whose coordinates were also shared among members of the group. Maj. M. Murat Çelebioğlu, a FETÖ member, created the group at 9:14 p.m., and the first order was given at 9:22 p.m. to halt traffic on Istanbul’s bridges. These written communications that were found on the cellphone seized from an officer who was arrested on the morning of July 16, provide the most damning information of the coup attempt

Video

Putschists first occuppied the Disaster Coordination Center — Putschists first occuppied the Disaster Coordination Center

Editing:Celal Can Vatandaş Yeni Şafak
00:01:36
Istanbul’s Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) was one of the first targets attacked by the putschists. At 9:23 p.m. armed putschists raided and searched the building, which houses cameras covering the whole of Istanbul and are capable of even reading car plates. Breaking down the doors on the front of the building, FETÖ soldiers went down into the boiler room and cut the power. The traitors also raided the server room. The putschist soldiers exited the building at 4:30 a.m., boarding the helicopter that was parked on the street.

Video

“This bullet will remain a mark” — “This bullet will remain a mark”

Editing:Ömer Lütfü Gözsüz İHA
00:01
Musa İlhan, who was wounded by the gunshots of traitors in front of the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) during the treacherous coup attempt on July 15 by FETÖ members, also experienced a life-threatening situation as the bullet hit right next to his heart. “I’ll carry the bullet I got hit with on July 15 for the rest of my life. It’ll be a mark,” he said.

Open

Correspondence of FETÖ-linked coup soldiers via Whatsapp Open PDF document

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2.7 The occupation of the putschist soldiers spread

Despite the measures taken by the Chief of General Staff, the coup soldiers who succeeded in taking action started to occupy strategic points.

Yeni Şafak July 15

Digital Library of July 15th 15 July 2016 at 10:00