Turkey looks back on the bloodiest coup attempt in its history
Police officers who were targeted by rogue F-16 jets in their Ankara headquarters say the abortive takeover of the country looked like an "invasion."
The rogue soldiers killed 249 people and injured thousands as masses defeated the coup attempt.
A year after the bloodiest coup attempt in Turkey's history, members of the special police forces – who were targeted in their Ankara headquarters by rogue F-16 fighter jets – say the coup looked like an "invasion."
"In my opinion, this wasn't a coup attempt, it was an invasion," a police officer, who managed to escape with his life after a piece of shrapnel hit him in his chest, told TRT World.
The officer wished to remain anonymous.
"Because normally in a coup, a government falls and another is formed. But they wanted us to become like Syria or Iraq‚ and if it was successful, things would not have got better," he said.
Exhibition to commemorate the victims
More than 50 people were killed in the air strikes.
Inside the headquarters, there is an exhibition to commemorate those who died.
On the night of July 15, 2016, a rogue faction within the Turkish army attempted a coup aimed at overthrowing the democratically elected government of Turkey.
Citizens took to the streets after encouragement from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and managed to quash the coup attempt.
Almost 250 people were killed that night and thousands were injured.
TRT World's Andrew Hopkins looks back at how the night of defiance unfolded.
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