The Turkish nation commemorates the sixth anniversary of the failed coup attempt by the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) tomorrow. Elif Dağdelen and Yılmaz Lale, who were among the tens of thousands that took to the streets to resist the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, recounted their experiences on the dark night that left 251 people dead and 2,734 injured.
On the night of July 15, an attempt was made to take 580 military personnel from the western provinces of Denizli and Aydın to the capital Ankara using Denizli Çardak Airport.
However, the convoy carrying the soldiers to the airport was blocked by citizens. Dağdelen, a mother of two children, was among those who tried to stop the convoy by standing in front of military vehicles.
Dağdelen opened the door of the military vehicle, entered inside and struggled with the soldier behind the wheel. With the support of other citizens, she managed to wrest control of the vehicle from the putschists. Waiting until morning in front of the airport with her children, Dağdelen became one of the heroines of the night.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Dağdelen said that she sees herself as a soldier ready to die for her country. "Thank God, we did not allow the traitors that night. This land is ours. I say that we will not leave this land to anyone as long as we have faith."
She stated that she jumped in the military vehicle on the night of the coup attempt without any fear or stopping to think about what could happen to her. "That night, I realized that one is becoming a giant. While I was getting into the military vehicle, I was not afraid of anyone. I opened the door, immediately pulled the key and said, 'Who are you, whom do you serve?'"
July 15 veteran sergeant
Yılmaz Lale, who was working as a noncommissioned officer in Erzurum at that time, also went out on the street to stop the putschists in Ankara, where he was visiting a relative on the night of July 15.
He was injured by a piece of shrapnel from the shots fired by the armored personnel carrier in front of the Presidency of General Staff building. After receiving veteran certification, Lale settled in the Menderes district of Izmir after retiring.
Lale said that he took to the streets with his fellow citizens on the night of July 15 without a second thought in order to show his support for the state.
Stating that the Turkish nation wrote a great epic on the night of July 15, the veteran soldier stressed the importance of remaining vigilant against traitors.
Explaining that July 15 is a historical day, Lale said: "On that day, a struggle for existence took place in Ankara and all over Turkey, and we won it. We really need to understand and comprehend July 15 very well. July 15 should not just be a date. It is the struggle of the Republic of Turkey to exist in these lands forever."