15 июля

HOW IT HAPPENED ?

Saga Of July 15

Gunshots were heard in Siirt.

Gunshots were heard in Siirt.

TIME : 21:55 LOCATION : Siirt

One of the cities where coup plotters took to the streets, they came face to face with police forces and gunshots were heard on the night of July 15 was Siirt. Special police forces of 200 policemen were sent to the Siirt as recruitment for anti-terror operation the day before the coup attempt.

As soon as the coup attempt was heard about, special police forces took measures around the governorship. In the same time, a group of coup plotters from Siirt 3rd Commando Brigade Command headed towards the governorship to occupy there with 22 armoured vehicles but they encountered with great resistance. Both police forces and citizens fought against the coup plotters who entered into the courtyard of the governorship.

Gunshots continued for 1-1,5 hours and the governor’s office came under fire with long barrelled weapons. Governor of Siirt, Mustafa Tutulmaz did not obey the call for surrender. After the coup plotters were forced to turn back their barracks, entrances of all military units in the city were blocked off with construction vehicles.

It was apparent in the indictment that the then Commander of Eruh 2nd Commando Battalion Senior Lieutenant Colonel İsmet Çehreli brought his battalion in the city centre from Eruh under the pretense of anti-terror operation and made announcement “TSK has seized power. Martial Law was declared.

” It was stated that coup plotter Lieutenant Colonel İsmet Çehreli had threatened the soldiers who had defied the illegal orders. Commander of Siirt 3rd Commando Brigade Command Brigadier Ahmet Şimşek, his deputy Colonel Alican Erkilitlioğlu and Eruh 2nd Commando Battalion Commander Senior Lieutenant Colonel İsmet Çehreli were arrested.