The Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) was already under the spotlight before it moved to seize power on July 15, 2016, through its military infiltrators. Its plans to imprison top public officials, the intelligence chief first and then the prime minister himself, spectacularly failed between 2012 and 2013. The state was aware that they did not give up but FETÖ had little room to maneuver after intense scrutiny and mass arrests, especially in late 2013 and early 2014.
Following the reelection of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) in 2015, its declared arch-nemesis FETÖ became aware that the government was mulling weeding out its infiltrators in the army. The army infiltrators were FETÖ’s only option to counter the government’s operations against the group. After the arrests of several FETÖ-linked military officers, the group issued a stark warning to the government. Its leader Fetullah Gülen, donning a khaki coat, called upon soldiers loyal to him to carry out a coup in an address on March 19, 2016. The time and date were naturally uncertain but investigations showed FETÖ’s administrators in Türkiye had already put their plans into action. After December 2015, they regularly visited Gülen in the United States to discuss coup plans.
Between July 6 and July 9, 2016, a group of FETÖ-linked generals and civilians convened in a villa in Ankara to put the final touches on the coup plan. Among them were Adil Öksüz, the fugitive civilian mastermind of the coup attempt, and now imprisoned former generals Mehmet Partigöç, Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş and Ömer Faruk Harmancık.
On July 11, Öksüz left for the United States and presented the final plan to Gülen. After receiving his approval, he returned to Türkiye on July 13 and alerted prospective putschists to start the coup at 3 a.m. on July 16.
Hours before the start of the coup, a major from a helicopter unit of the Turkish army rushed to the headquarters of the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and claimed FETÖ members sought to detain intelligence chief Hakan Fidan. He was apparently aware of a part of the wider coup plot. Fidan alerted the top military brass about a possible plot. Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar ordered a closure of airspace and imposed a ban on any tanks or armored vehicles from major military bases as a precaution against the putschists. Yet, FETÖ members, like Partigöç, heard of Akar’s actions and they then knew that the army was preparing to stop them. As news spread among FETÖ members, Öksüz approved the military infiltrators’ decision to reschedule the coup. Instead of 3 a.m. on July 16, they would start at 8:30 p.m. on July 15.
The putschists first sought to prevent top military brass from resistance and 33 elite soldiers from a base in Ankara headed to Akar’s office upon orders of FETÖ. Generals and military officers loyal to FETÖ were already ready at the army headquarters and accompanied soldiers to the rooms of Akar and other generals. Mehmet Dişli, a general at the time serving FETÖ, revealed the coup to Akar at 9 p.m. and even sought to persuade him to join them. When Akar and other generals refused, the putschists started rounding them up and taking imprisoned officers to Akıncı military base, the command center of the putschists in Ankara.
With Akar and others out of the way, the putschists started taking control of military bases again. They started issuing orders to military units across the country to leave the bases and take over critical routes and public buildings. At 9:53 p.m., a message was sent to all troops outside their bases at the time and ordered them to report to the base immediately. Around the same time, putschists started to invade several locations, such as the disaster coordination center in Istanbul, home to a wealth of access to security cameras across the city.
Call for resistance
People were aware something unusual was happening, but it was 10:28 p.m. on July 15 when TV stations started reporting it. Shortly after, F-16 fighter jets commanded by putschists started flying low above the capital. Soon, images and videos of soldiers closing down two key bridges in Istanbul were everywhere. At 11:02 p.m., Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announced an “illegal action” against the government in a live call with broadcaster NTV and vowed a response. At 11:05 p.m., the Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Ankara announced an investigation against the coup attempt.
Around the same time, putschists were bombing several locations, from the headquarters of the police’s aviation unit in Ankara to the police’s Special Operations department. They fired at intelligence headquarters as well.
The putschists taking over public broadcaster TRT also forced a presenter to announce that “the Turkish army took over administration.”
At 12:24 a.m., President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan appeared in a video call to broadcaster CNN Türk and made a historic speech, calling the nation to the streets against the putschists.
News of people killed by putschists started pouring in. At 12:56 a.m. on July 16, putschist pilots bombed the main police headquarters in Ankara.
At 1:13 a.m., July 16, a group of putschists led by Semih Terzi, a general at the time, landed in Ankara from Diyarbakır in the southeast. Their goal was to capture the headquarters of the elite Special Forces Command of the army. Sgt. Ömer Halisdemir shot Terzi dead as he tried to force his way into the headquarters before he was killed by Terzi’s fellow putschists.
Elsewhere, putschists killed 36 people protesting the coup outside the army headquarters in the capital and launched air assaults on Parliament as lawmakers started convening to issue an anti-coup declaration.
At 3 a.m., July 16, public resistance helped the liberation of TRT from the putschists who were detained by police. Around 15 minutes later, putschists bombed the facilities of a satellite operator in Ankara to cut off the broadcast. Anti-coup civilians and police, however, were gaining ground. Soon, police retook the air traffic control tower of Atatürk Airport in Istanbul where President Erdoğan was expected to land. Erdoğan was welcomed by thousands of anti-putschists.
In Ankara, putschists were resisting. At 3:24 a.m. and 3:25 a.m. on July 16, an F-16 fighter jet launched more assaults on Parliament.
At 4 a.m., prosecutors issued more arrest warrants for those involved in the coup attempt, including judiciary officials linked to FETÖ.
At 6:19 a.m., July 16, an air assault by putschists at a spot where people convened to guard the Presidential Complex killed 15 people. As the new day dawned, putschists started withdrawing from their positions and started surrendering upon noticing that the nationwide coup attempt was a failure.
At 8:26 a.m. top military brass abducted by putschists were rescued, while the Akıncı military base was attacked by anti-putschist military elements.
At 12:57 p.m., July 16, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım announced that the coup attempt was suppressed. Thus, it took about 21 hours for the attempt to be contained.
