Top commander saved but others remain hostage to Gülenist coup plotters: Military

ANKARA

Only Hulusi Akar was saved among the top commanders held hostage by Gülenist coup attempters, as the whereabouts of others remained unknown, said deputy Chief of Staff Ümit Dündar on July 16. The air force’s command, the gendarmerie command and some units from the armored forces took part in the coup attempt, he said, adding that it was quashed. 

The commander said 41 police officers, 2 soldiers and 47 civilians were killed by the plotters, as 104 of them were also killed by security forces. 

“The coup attempt was rejected by the chain of command since the very beginning. The people protected democracy via going out to the streets and not leaving them to the coup supporters,” he said, while adding that the president, the prime minister, the ministers and lawmakers acted in “full solidarity” with the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). 

“Turkey has witnessed an insanity that hit its own parliament and killed its own civilians. This nation will never forget this cowardice,” he also said. 

During his speech, Dündar stressed that they are “determined to clean the members of the parallel movement from the army.”

“No one who betrayed the state will be left unpunished,” he also said.