Roma citizens who blocked military units attempting to travel from Lüleburgaz in northwestern Türkiye to Istanbul in armored vehicles to support the Gülenist Terror Group's (FETÖ) July 15 coup attempt continue to remember with pride the resistance they mounted that night.
After learning of the coup attempt, residents, most of them members of the Roma community, took to the streets to defend the national will and blocked military vehicles commanded by Latif Çiçek, who was later arrested and dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) over his involvement in the coup attempt.
Residents placed motorcycles, vehicles and sacks of potatoes in front of the military convoy, creating barricades to prevent the units from advancing toward Istanbul.
Despite Çiçek's threat that "the military has weapons, everyone should move aside," the crowd refused to back down and prevented the units from reaching Istanbul.
Ten years later, the Roma citizens involved in the resistance said the events of July 15 remained as vivid in their memories as they were on the first day.
Emin Sanpur, head of the Biz Bize Yeteriz Association, said that he remembered the resistance of July 15 as though it had happened yesterday.
Sanpur said they had been spending an ordinary evening and following developments on television when they heard President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call and immediately took action.
"Children and adults, young and old, women and men, we all came together. We stood firm in the streets for our state and our nation. We shouted for as long as our voices allowed that we stood with our state and our people," Sanpur said.
"When we heard the sound of tanks later that night, we acted without hesitation," he added.
Sanpur said that on that night, their thoughts were focused only on their homeland, state, call to prayer, flag and the Quran, stressing the Roma community's deep attachment to the country, nation, flag and faith.
Describing July 15 not simply as a "dark night" but as a "celebration of democracy and struggle," Sanpur said the crowd did not retreat even after hearing a duty officer order a sergeant to open fire.
"Even though we heard the lieutenant colonel give the order to shoot, we did not take a single step back. We stood firm for our homeland, our flag and our faith," he said.
Soner Orgun, another participant in the resistance, said he would never forget the night of July 15 or allow its memory to fade.
Recalling how quickly residents mobilized, Orgun said between 1,000 and 1,500 people gathered within 15 to 20 minutes.
"Some of my friends arrived on bicycles and motorcycles, while others came with potato trucks. I remember 11 of us getting into a single car. We gathered as a large crowd and blocked the tanks," he said.
Orgun said the group refused to retreat despite threats from the military commander and remained in place.
Reflecting on the resistance 10 years later, Orgun recalled leaving his home believing he might not return.
"Before I left the house, I performed ablution. My wife and daughter were sleeping. God is my witness, I kissed my daughter and my wife and left prepared to become a martyr," he said.
"I am sure my friends left with the same feelings. I went out without an ounce of fear," he added.
Ömer Bayraktar said that even a decade later, the memories of the coup attempt remained deeply vivid.
He said recalling the events of that night still gave him goosebumps and that the Roma community had demonstrated its loyalty to the homeland, nation and flag through its resistance.
"From the youngest to the oldest, our mothers, fathers and children, all of us tried to stand in front of the tanks. We tried to form a barrier against the soldiers. We brought whatever we had that night. Everything was for our homeland and our nation," Bayraktar said.
