Turkish teen protester recalls coup attempt

By Duygu Yener

ANKARA (AA) – A Turkish teenager who protested against the deadly July 15 coup attempt shared his experience with Anadolu Agency on Thursday.

University student Muhammed Emin Tekin, 19, said thousands of people took to the streets on the night of the coup after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s calls to resist the coup-plotters and protect Turkey’s democracy.

Muhammed was among many others who headed to Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge, which was blocked by pro-coup soldiers and army tanks, preventing people from crossing from the city’s Asian to European side and vice versa.

When Muhammed, who lives in a dorm in Istanbul’s Asian side Uskudar, and a group of other protesters rushed to the Bosphorus Bridge, they were faced with the pro-coup soldiers who fired into the air.

"That day [July 15] we saw so many people get killed. They [pro-coup soldiers] were inhumane," Muhammed said.

But the firings and killings of civilians by the pro-coup soldiers did not stop Muhammed from raising his fist against a military tank, he said.

Ankara accuses U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen and his FETO (Fetullah Terrorist Organization) of being behind the coup attempt on July 15 in which FETO-linked military personnel attempted -- unsuccessfully -- to overthrow Turkey’s elected government.

At least 246 people, including civilians and security personnel, were martyred -- and more than 2,100 injured -- during the illegal putsch attempt.

Gulen and his followers are also accused of attempting to infiltrate Turkey’s vital state institutions -- especially the military, police apparatus and judiciary -- with the ultimate aim of creating a parallel state.