Coup plotters' messages shed light on a dark night
Correspondence between the Gülenist junta soldiers who carried out the coup attempt on July 15 show how coup officers responsible for the killing of hundreds of civilians, fellow officers and police officers communicated on that fateful night.
Officers linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) coordinated their attempted takeover of Istanbul through a WhatsApp group. Released by A Haber TV channel, the transcripts of the correspondence show Major Mehmet Murat Çelebioğlu created the WhatsApp group for 144 officers from all ranks who were responsible for the putsch attempt in Istanbul. The mega city was one of the first places where the coup attempt started with soldiers loyal to the coup plotters took over a bridge connecting the Asian and European sides of Turkey's most populated city.
Çelebioğlu told fellow junta members they would act in line with instructions from the "center in Ankara," referring to a military base in the capital where high-ranking coup generals were organizing the nationwide putsch attempt.
Özkar Aydoğdu, a brigadier general in the WhatsApp group ordered his subordinates to block the roads to Istanbul. "Free the traffic from Istanbul, stop incoming traffic," he types. Another officer says a coup plotter "needs help in convincing his unit" while another responds with "we are coming to help." Some conscripted soldiers and officers were forced to join the coup attempt by their superiors and although some complied, others refused to join.
In another message, Col. Müslüm Kaya, who was captured along with another officer on Monday, says he intervened in the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) of Istanbul Municipality. "We will control it soon," he says. Kaya also asks for the dispatch of the "technical crew" to cut off public broadcaster TRT. The technical crew he was referring to was a band of technicians from Gülenist-linked companies who accompanied troops to TRT and fled after the coup attempt was quelled.
Another message urged fellow officers to "capture the first army commander immediately," referring to Ümit Dündar, one of the highest-ranking officers in Istanbul who defied the coup plotters. Dündar contacted TV stations as the coup attempt was underway and said the coup was the work of a small junta and many officers did not participate in it and were fighting to regain control of the bases.
The coup officers also warned each other not to return calls by their superiors not involved in the coup and not to obey their orders to lay down arms.
Officers linked to the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) coordinated their attempted takeover of Istanbul through a WhatsApp group. Released by A Haber TV channel, the transcripts of the correspondence show Major Mehmet Murat Çelebioğlu created the WhatsApp group for 144 officers from all ranks who were responsible for the putsch attempt in Istanbul. The mega city was one of the first places where the coup attempt started with soldiers loyal to the coup plotters took over a bridge connecting the Asian and European sides of Turkey's most populated city.
Çelebioğlu told fellow junta members they would act in line with instructions from the "center in Ankara," referring to a military base in the capital where high-ranking coup generals were organizing the nationwide putsch attempt.
Özkar Aydoğdu, a brigadier general in the WhatsApp group ordered his subordinates to block the roads to Istanbul. "Free the traffic from Istanbul, stop incoming traffic," he types. Another officer says a coup plotter "needs help in convincing his unit" while another responds with "we are coming to help." Some conscripted soldiers and officers were forced to join the coup attempt by their superiors and although some complied, others refused to join.
In another message, Col. Müslüm Kaya, who was captured along with another officer on Monday, says he intervened in the Disaster Coordination Center (AKOM) of Istanbul Municipality. "We will control it soon," he says. Kaya also asks for the dispatch of the "technical crew" to cut off public broadcaster TRT. The technical crew he was referring to was a band of technicians from Gülenist-linked companies who accompanied troops to TRT and fled after the coup attempt was quelled.
Another message urged fellow officers to "capture the first army commander immediately," referring to Ümit Dündar, one of the highest-ranking officers in Istanbul who defied the coup plotters. Dündar contacted TV stations as the coup attempt was underway and said the coup was the work of a small junta and many officers did not participate in it and were fighting to regain control of the bases.
The coup officers also warned each other not to return calls by their superiors not involved in the coup and not to obey their orders to lay down arms.