Turkey: Cameras spot July 15 putschists' looting armory

By Tanju Ozkaya

ANKARA

Security cameras have caught on film putschist soldiers looting the armory during the Fetullah Terrorist Organization's (FETO) defeated coup on July 15, 2016, in Turkey.

In the video footage with Anadolu Agency, putschists can be seen looting the armory of the Gendarmerie General Command Headquarters in Bestepe in capital Ankara, one of the command centers of the coup plotters.

Putschists broke locks with hammers and fire extinguishers to loot weapons and ammunition for use against civilians protesting against them and the Turkish police's special operation teams thwarting the coup bid.

The footage disproves the claim that suspects had not used weapons against police.

An expert report said the coup bid began when a large number of soldiers in civilian dress arrived at the building even though they were off duty.

Former Lt. Col. Ozkan Yilmaz, a FETO suspect, greeted soldiers at the main entrance and assigned duties using a name list.

Another FETO suspect, Haydar Aksoy, also came at the Gendarmerie General Command Headquarters as part of the coup attempt although he was supposed to be on duty at another building, Gendarmerie Command in Akyurt district of Ankara. Aksoy asked a private soldier to then take him to the ammunition store.

Security cameras show him trying to break the door lock with a hammer and a fire extinguisher.

Then he went to the other section, where G3 assault rifles, MP5 submachine guns and pistols were kept.

Breaking the lock of the front door of this room, Aksoy broke the second door made of wood and distributed weapons among putschist soldiers.

The suspects then went to their assigned positions.

The report of the expert also said these weapons were used against civilian protesters and police special operation teams.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.