Abdurrahman Kafkas, who was injured as a result of gunfire opened from a helicopter in front of the Presidential Complex during the coup attempt of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), has been living with 20 pieces of shrapnel remaining in his body for 10 years.
33-year-old Kafkas, who lives in Bursa's Orhaneli district, was injured during the coup attempt when he went to Beştepe and tried to block tanks after watching the news on television in Ankara, where he was visiting his brother.
Kafkas, who continues his life with the shrapnel that hit his body and which he says he carries as a "medal of honor", tells young people about his experiences during the coup attempt at every opportunity.
"I'm probably dying, I said, this is over"
Kafkas told the AA correspondent that he was in Yozgat on the morning of July 15, that he went to Ankara to his brother after taking care of his business, and that they went to the AK Party Headquarters after watching the news of the coup attempt on television.
Explaining that a large crowd had gathered here and they were waiting, chanting takbirs, Kafkas said, "We saw a white-haired, athletic person running towards the Presidential Complex and said, 'For the sake of God, get there, tanks will enter the complex.' he said. When we heard him, we started running towards the social complex. There was a strange feeling, a different atmosphere. As if we had agreed with everyone, approximately 30-40 people, young and old, men and women, all wearing slippers and shorts, started running towards the social complex. The distance is 2 kilometers." he said.
At the intersection in front of the Presidential Complex, the police stopped the crowd and said, "You are crossing into a dangerous area." Kafkas stated that no one listened to this warning.
Kafkas stated that they saw armored vehicles after turning the corner and said, "When they saw us, they started shooting into the air, they did not want us to approach. We went to the bottom. It was around 00.45. We chanted takbir and unfurled flags." he said.
Stating that fire was opened from the helicopter while he was taking a video on his mobile phone, Kafkas said, "Armor-piercing bullets were opened on us from a distance from the helicopter. At first, I could not understand what was happening. There was such a loud noise that I felt the organs in my body being pressed down with all the pressure. There was such a violent explosion. I was shot at that moment." he said.
Kafkas explained that he realized he had been shot after a while and continued as follows:
"I was walking, but I lost sensation as if it were not my own legs. I sat on the pavement, and while trying to take my phone out of my pocket, I saw blood flowing to the ground. That's when I realized that I had been shot. My legs were swollen, I was experiencing serious blood loss. While I was trying to turn on the phone, the screen turned bloody and I couldn't press the keys. Then my eyes started to darken slightly. 'I think I'm dying, this is over.' I said. I started not being able to see anything. Then one of our citizens, my brother Harun, ran after me and helped me. First, we took off my t-shirt, there was a very large wound on the back of my left leg, we made a tampon for it. Thank you, he took me on his back, carried me another 100 meters away and sat me in a safe place. "He crossed the road and stopped a vehicle, three people came, put me in the vehicle and transported me to the hospital."
"Fortunately, the nation protected its state and its president."
Stating that 22 pieces of shrapnel hit his body and only 2 pieces of shrapnel were removed because they would prevent him from walking, Kafkas said, "We do not have the luxury of complaining about our situation. We have brothers who were martyred that night and veterans who lost their limbs. Alhamdulillah, we do not have the opportunity to complain about our situation in front of them. There are 20 pieces of shrapnel in my body. Of course, there are difficulties, but we are happy with our situation." made his assessment.
Kafkas pointed out that 10 years have passed since the coup attempt and continued his words as follows:
"The pain of that night is fresh for those who experienced these events, as if it happened yesterday. After seeing the games played on our country and the dirty activities carried out, today I can say again that I am glad I went out that day, I am glad I had such a brother. We could sit at home and drink our tea that day. He showed such a reflex, and I was granted the status of veteran. I am very emotional. July 15 was not just a coup attempt, it was an attempt to invade our country. God forbid, if this coup had been successful, it was an attempt to invade our country today." "Our country could not have been in this situation. The ring of fire around us, the wars that took place around our country, and the fact that we were not harmed by any of these. I am truly glad that we survived that day, that the nation stood up for its state and its president. Today, I can say with peace of mind that I am glad that the sons of the country were there that day, that they stood up for each other."
Stating that he conveyed the events he experienced to young people, Kafkas said:
"Amacımız, geçmişten ders alarak ilerlemek. Geçmişte yapılan hataların tekrar yaşanmaması için gelecek nesillere özellikle söylüyorum, 15 Temmuz, izlediğiniz belgesellerden ibaret değil. Henüz üzerinden 10 yıl geçti. Bunu yaşayan insanlar halen aramızda çok şükür. Dilim döndüğünce gençlere, bu olayın ciddiyetini, ülkemizin üzerine oynanan oyunları, gerçekten bu işin arkasında kimler olduğunu, kimlerin yapmak istediğini, gözlerinin açık olması gerektiğini ve içerisinde bulundukları eğitim alanını en iyi şekilde tamamlamaları gerektiğini, bu olayı ülkemizde tekrar yaşamamak için ellerinden ne geliyorsa yapmalarını, "We are trying to briefly teach young people a lesson by telling the events we experienced."