Anti-coup protesters managed to stop military tanks heading to Istanbul's Atatürk Airport on July 15, the day of the coup, by filling the vehicle's exhaust pipes with their clothes, according to the statements made by the protestors themselves.

A chef at a restaurant in Istanbul, Danyal Şimşek, and restaurant owner Mehmet Şükrü Kintas told Anadolu Agency (AA) that they stopped almost 10 tanks using this technique.

First, the duo set up a barricade with their cars to halt the tanks, before stuffing the exhaust pipes with their clothing.

Civilians brought many soldiers who were in the tanks to the police as the soldiers tried to flee the tanks after exhaust filled their cabins.

Kintas added that pro-coup soldiers were heading to the airport when civilians intervened.

"How can we stop this tank?" he asked the chef. A nearby mechanic then told them, "If you fill the exhaust pipes, the tanks will stop."

Kintas continued: "We took our clothes off. Everyone gave us their clothing and T-shirts. We plugged up the exhaust pipes with them and covered the top of the filters. The tanks were then forced to stop within two to three minutes."

Kintas added that all security personnel can eat free at any of his 12 restaurants in Istanbul.

"The military personnel and police officers against the coup can visit any branch of my restaurant and eat as much as they want. Our brothers paid their checks on July 15 and 16," he added.

The chef said only one tank was able to evade them and continue on to Atatürk Airport.

Regarding those who fought against the coup, he said: "May God bless them all. There were hundreds of people there. We were just a few of them."