Sergeant Zekeriya Kuzu, who was arrested on Saturday along with two other pro-coup commandoes for attempting to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on July 15, confessed that all soldiers involved in the assassination attempt were members of the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ).
Sergeant Kuzu, who was allegedly the main Gülenist figure at Çiğli Air Base, pleaded guilty and confessed in his testimony that he is affiliated with FETÖ and has been in contact with the terrorist organization since 2007.
He said that Maj. Gen. Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş told the group of soldiers headed toward Erdoğan's hotel to assassinate him to "take the president and come back." In his testimony, Kuzu said that he asked the assassination team if all of them were affiliated with FETÖ and nobody denied it.
After the confrontation with police at the hotel where President Erdoğan and his family were staying in Marmaris, Maj. Şükrü told all the soldiers to take money from the police officers who were killed.
Kuzu also said that the major and lieutenant told him that they would be killed by Gülenists if they were detained by the authorities.
Gülenists in the military were instructed to act like they did not know each other even if they met outside the military and were told to report everything happening at the base to FETÖ's representative there Kuzu said, adding that he met and spoke with other Gülenists in person rather than through phone conversations.
Seven soldiers involved in the assassination attempt on President Erdoğan on July 15 were detained in southwestern Turkey on Monday. Ten more soldiers remain at large
An operation is still underway to capture other soldiers who attacked the hotel the night of the coup, narrowly missing the president, who had left for Istanbul after learning of the coup attempt.
So far, 25 soldiers have been remanded in custody for their alleged links to the Marmaris attack.
On July 15, a group of rogue soldiers linked to the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ) attempted to topple the democratically elected government in Turkey and bring martial law in effect. The attempt was prevented by the military loyal to the government along with police units and millions of people in favor of democracy. Over 230 civilians were killed and at least 1,500 people were injured. Opposition parties have united in condemnation of the coup attempt, denouncing it in the harshest terms and underscoring their determination to preserve democracy and rule of law in Turkey.
