7 Years After the Coup on July 15
Today marks 7 years since the "Resistance of July 15" by the Turkish nation, who took to the streets to prevent the armed uprising led by the terrorist organization FETÖ.
The reporter from the Anadolu news agency has compiled the events that occurred during the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, when weapons were drawn against the elected government.
This terrorist organization, knowing that after the Justice and Development Party (AKP) regained power with 49 percent of the votes in the general elections on November 10, 2015, the government would destroy the FETÖ organization by decisions from the Supreme Military Council (YAŞ), began its hostility against the Republic of Turkey.
During this process, the organization realized that strategies such as summoning Hakan Fidan, the deputy head of the MIT, and senior officials of the organization, the investigations of December 17/25, and the stop of MIT trucks would not force the government to retreat. They then decided to attempt a coup as a last resort.
It turned out that Fethullah Gülen, the leader of this organization, had called for the coup in a speech in front of the camera on March 19, 2016.
Following the order from the leaders of the organization, military and civilian members would wait until 03:00 on July 16 to execute the coup, having completed all preparations across Turkey.
However, hours before this action, a helicopter pilot major went to the MIT headquarters and reported that FETÖ members intended to arrest Hakan Fidan, the Minister of Intelligence.
Fidan reported this information to General Yaşar Güler, the Deputy Chief of the Army at the time, and then sent the Chief of Staff's assistant to inform him of the details.
General Güler, after discussing with the MIT official, relayed the content of the meeting to General Hulusi Akar, the Chief of Staff of the Army at that time.
After that, Akar ordered the Turkish Armed Forces Operations Center to return fighter jets to their bases and close the airspace to flights.
Additionally, Akar appointed the 4th Army Commander at that time, Lieutenant General Metin Gürak, from the Armored Units School and the Etimesgut Training Command to prevent armored vehicles from exiting the unit.
Also, against helicopter flights, the Army Commander, General Zeki Çolak, was dispatched to command ground aviation.
At the same time, news was broadcast in the virtual space and on television that Hulusi Akar and Hakan Fidan had met.
With the meeting of Akar and Fidan, information that Çolak had also gone to command ground aviation spread among the coup plotters.
Following these events, the timing of the coup was changed from 3 AM on July 16 to 8:30 PM on July 15.
Immediately after the order to attempt the coup was issued, 33 special forces operatives, equipped as necessary, moved from the Special Forces Command (ÖKK) at Akıncı Air Base towards the General Staff.
The former head of strategy at the General Staff, Major General Mehmet Dişli, Chief of Staff Advisor Colonel Orhan Yıkılkan, Brigadier General Mehmet Partigöç, and Chief of Staff Colonel Ramadan Gözl gathered to organize the coup at the General Staff.
Mehmet Dişli informed General Akar about the coup at 21:00. However, realizing he could not convince Akar and that Akar was aware of his role in the coup, Dişli instructed the team waiting outside the office to intervene.
Then, Gözl, Yıkılkan, former Colonel Lütfi Turhan's deputy, former Captain Tekin, and former Sergeant Abdullah Erdoğan detained General Akar.
By the order of the coup plotters at the headquarters of the 58th Artillery Brigade, former Brigadier General Murat Aygün, who was stationed in Polatlı, ordered vehicles, including rocket launch systems, to exit the barracks to take control of vital areas in Ankara.
Shortly after, the first notice of the coup attempt titled "Warning of Readiness and Deployment of Forces" was sent through the General Staff Document and Message Distribution System (MEDAS).
The list of the so-called martial law mission signed by the coup plotters Partigöç and Turhan was sent to the soldiers through MEDAS. After this message, the coup plotters issued a second order for "deployment of armored vehicles" on the same system to seize sensitive roads and intersections in cities and public places.
The coup plotters sent one message after another through MEDAS, ordering soldiers outside the barracks to join their forces at 21:53. Accordingly, the coup plotters seized the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM), known as the "Istanbul's Eye," in Kağıthane.
