A soldier who was involved in the coup attempt led by the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ) said in testimony that the Air Force was going to bring the country to ruins in the attempt and killing civilians was mentioned as a usual thing among the putschists.
Lt. Col. Murat Bolat, a commander in the Army Aviation Regiment, said he was informed about the attempt one week beforehand and was asked for help when Lt. Col. Halil Gül, the deputy regiment commander in Ankara, mentioned the coup attempt in a meeting.
"They wanted three things from me. First, they told me that an air to land operation will be carried out on the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and showed me the list of people who will fly with me in the Skorsky helicopter. Second, they told me that all helicopters [in the commandership] must be left outside. I accepted then. Their third demand was to install a system that would allow rapid landing for the Skorsky."
According to Bolat's testimony, the putschists said in a meeting he attended that they were planning to wipe the country off the map with the Air Force they failed to assassinate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
"I said if they cannot seize control at one of the targets, people will resist and there will be bloodshed. Then, Chief of Staff Mehmet Şahin said the Air Force can destroy this country if needed. … Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Özcan Karacan was giving the order to ‘shoot everyone who is not from us,' on the radio. Everybody there was talking about killing people as a normal job."
He also said Erdoğan being in Marmaris on vacation changed their plans, which were designed for Erdoğan to be captured by Underwater Offence Team (SAT) and Underwater Forces (SAS) commandos in Istanbul.
"When the president was captured, he would be carried on a Skorsky and refueling would take place in Milas [in Muğla]. The person, whom I guess was from the Special Forces, told me that in the event of a counter operation, nobody would take the president from their hands. I understood that in the event of the failure of the coup, the team that takes the president hostage would kill him."
