Turkey’s failed coup

Summary

Witness History: Turkey’s Failed Coup

Host: Emily Wither
Date: July 15, 2026
Duration: ~9 minutes
Location of Story: Chengelköy, Istanbul, Turkey
Main Guest: Osman Can Jummadoo, mukhtar (local elected head) of Chengelköy

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Episode Overview

This episode of Witness History, hosted by Emily Wither, marks the 10-year anniversary of the failed coup attempt in Turkey on July 15, 2016. Against the backdrop of Istanbul’s historic Chengelköy neighborhood, the episode brings the dramatic night to life through the first-hand account of Osman Can Jummadoo, the local mukhtar, who was gravely injured during the clashes. The episode explores the chaos, courage, and lasting impact of that night, offering insights into how ordinary citizens found themselves defending democracy on the frontlines.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Surprise Beginning of the Coup

[01:29] Osman Can Jummadoo:

• Describes a peaceful, typical Friday evening in Chengelköy; out with his wife, enjoying ice cream.
• Notices an unusually large crowd and sense of unrest:

“At that moment citizens are running toward me… A friend of mine named Yuksel, I will never forget it, said, Can, something is wrong.”

• Initial confusion as soldiers pass through the neighborhood; at first seems routine due to proximity to a military academy.

First Signs of Danger

[02:41] Osman Can Jummadoo:

• Alarm grows when informed the Bosphorus Bridge is being sealed and locals are detained.
• Recognizes the severity as he watches tanks on TV:

“The minute I saw the tank on top of the bridge, I said, oh, no, there is an uprising. Because the thing is, I’d already lived through the coup in 1980.”

Community Response and Resolve

[03:23] Osman Can Jummadoo:

• Despite danger, insists:

“No fear whatsoever. Let me put it this way. We ran toward the bullets.”

• Rallies men in the village square. The neighborhood, a known supporter of Erdogan’s AKP, becomes a front line of civilian resistance.

Direct Confrontation with the Military

[04:09] Osman Can Jummadoo:

• Describes confrontational exchange with army officer:

“A captain from Kuleli Military Academy… said, clear these areas immediately. The army has taken over the administration. I said to him, are you out of your mind? Are you drunk?”

• Armed officer presses weapon to his chest; local youth form a protective “fortress” behind their leader.

The Tide Turns – Gunfire and Injury

[05:59] Osman Can Jummadoo:

• Streets erupt in gunfire; Osman is struck by a bullet:

“When I came back outside, I was hit by a bullet.”

• Memorable audio moment: Shouts of “They shot our mukhtar!” ring out as neighbors drag him to safety.
  [06:37] Osman Can Jummadoo:
• Vivid description of his near-death experience:

“I felt that my foot had come off… And then everything went white. And I said, this is death. So this is what death is.”

National Scope and Political Impact

[06:56] Emily Wither:

• Parliament in Ankara bombed; fierce fighting across the country.
• Erdogan calls on citizens via video link to resist the coup — mobilizing popular support.
• By morning, the coup collapses as soldiers surrender and abandoned military vehicles litter the city.

Aftermath and Enduring Divisions

[07:28] Narrator:

• Over 300 killed, more than 2,100 injured (including Osman and his nephew, who died that night).
• The Turkish government blames US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen and his network (charges denied by Gülen).
• Massive crackdown follows:
  • Almost 300,000 detained, 150,000+ public servants dismissed.
  • Hundreds of media outlets and opposition figures targeted.
• Critics accuse Erdogan of exploiting the coup for political purges; he denies the claims.

[08:31] Osman Can Jummadoo:

• Reflects on the night and the unity it sparked:

“What mattered for us was the survival of the state. The flag remaining on the pole. You cannot afford to think politically here.”

Long-term Commemoration

[09:02] Emily Wither:

• Bosphorus Bridge renamed "15th of July Martyrs Bridge;" local bus stops carry the names of those killed, including Osman’s nephew.
• Osman Can Jummadoo still serves as the mukhtar, a living symbol of the neighborhood’s resilience.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Can, something is wrong.” – Yuksel, a friend, signaling the episode's turning point.
  (01:29)
• “No fear whatsoever. We ran toward the bullets.” – Osman Can Jummadoo, on confronting the coup.
  (03:23)
• “Are you out of your mind? Are you drunk?” – Osman, challenging the coup officer.
  (04:09)
• “They shot our mukhtar!” – A neighbor, capturing the chaos and community concern.
  (06:26)
• “I said, this is death. So this is what death is.” – Osman, recalling his vivid near-death moment.
  (06:37)
• “What mattered for us was the survival of the state… You cannot afford to think politically here.” – Osman, reflecting on unity.
  (08:31)

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Important Timestamps

• [00:35] Scene set in Chengelköy, Istanbul; context of the coup attempt.
• [01:29] Osman recounts the evening as the coup begins.
• [02:41] Realization of the gravity; tanks on the Bosphorus Bridge.
• [03:23] Mobilizing civic resistance; running toward danger.
• [04:09] Armed confrontation with military, physical courage.
• [05:59] Osman is shot; chaos and rescue.
• [06:56] Aftermath: Hospitalization, national fighting, coup collapses.
• [07:28] Final body count, Osman's injuries, nationwide purge.
• [08:31] Reflection on the meaning of unity and survival.
• [09:02] Memorialization and Osman's ongoing service.

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Tone & Language

• Relayed in a clear, vivid, and conversational narrative.
• Osman’s personal testimony is candid, heartfelt, and at times defiant, conveying a sense of both trauma and proud resilience.
• Emily Wither’s questions and narration guide the story with empathy and directness, grounding personal stories within national context.

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For Further Listening

• Episodes on the 1980 Turkish coup.
• Stories from witnesses to other pivotal moments in Turkish, and world, history.

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This comprehensive account is essential for understanding both the immediate drama and long-term impact of Turkey’s failed 2016 coup, as experienced at the neighborhood and personal level.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Foreign.

[Emily Wither]

Hello and welcome to Witness History from the BBC World Service with me, Emily Wither. If you're already a regular listener of this program, feel free to skip this bit to get to today's story, but if it's your first time here, we're the podcast that takes you back to moments in history with the people who were there. Episodes are just nine minutes long and out every weekday, so if you want to hear more, then please do subscribe and turn on your push notifications from wherever you get your BBC podcasts so you never miss an episode.

[Narrator]

I'm taking you back 10 years to when Turkey was rocked by the bloodiest coup attempt in its modern history on July 15, 2016. That night, a faction of the Turkish military launched a coordinated attempt to topple President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. I'm in Istanbul, in the historic neighbourhood of Chengel Khoi on the Asian side of the Bosphorus Strait. It has the feel of a traditional seaside village, yet it's in Turkey's largest city. At weekends, Istanbul residents come here to soak up the relaxed atmosphere, sitting by the water, eating fish and seafood. The mukhtar of the neighbourhood can Turkey, that's an elected head who handles local issues, says that Friday night began as just another typical summer's evening.

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

It was a lovely Friday evening. In fact, that evening my wife was here too. We had our tea, I performed evening prayer, and after that I live in the center of Chengelkoy, so as we were entering the house, my wife said, there is a big crowd. The thing is, the weather was very hot and Chenghalke is an area known for its food. We get a lot of people here on weekends. So there was a big crowd. And my wife said, can, come on, let's get ice cream. I parked the car, we're walking, and at that moment citizens are running toward me. Just then a friend of mine named Yuksel, I will never forget it, said, can, something is wrong.

[Emily Wither]

Can. Jumoju looked around. Soldiers were passing through the neighborhood. At first he thought it was normal. After all, there was a military academy nearby. Chengel Khuy is just south of one of the main crossings linking Europe and Asia. And it was when his neighbors started telling him the bridge was being sealed that he started to worry.

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

A woman from our neighborhood, like a sister to me, came up to me and said, can, please help. They have detained my daughter on the bridge. When she said that, I said, allah, something is wrong. I started heading toward the police station. I went in and looked at the television. The minute I saw the tank on top of the bridge, I said, oh, no, there is an uprising. Because the thing is, I'd already lived through the coup in 1980. People my age know what this kind of event is, because simply put, the military has no business in a metropolis.

[Emily Wither]

How were you feeling in that moment?

[Narrator]

Were you scared?

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

No fear whatsoever. Let me put it this way. We ran toward the bullets.

[Emily Wither]

Without still really knowing what was going on. Jan called all the men to the village square, and this quiet neighbourhood found itself on one of the front lines of the attempted coup. Cengalkui is a socially conservative area that has always voted for the akp, the party of Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Still in power today, Jan and his neighbors were ready to fight. It wasn't the first time Turkey's armed forces had interfered in politics. Take me.

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

During the 1980 coup, we didn't know what a mobile phone was. We woke up one morning, pulled open the curtains, tanks in the streets. But here, what happened was we established communication and invited everyone out onto the streets. Then around 9:45pm, a captain from Kuleli Military Academy came in front of the police station and said, clear these areas immediately. The army has taken over the administration. I said to him, are you out of your mind? Are you drunk? He got angry. He had a weapon in his hand at the time and he pressed the weapon against my chest. And at that moment, the youth of Chenghelkoy formed a wall behind us like a fortress.

[Emily Wither]

There had also been gunshots in the capital, Ankara, and military jets and helicopters were in the skies. By that time, Turkey's then Prime Minister, Benali Yildirim had officially announced an attempted coup was underway. Blaming a group within Turkey's military for trying to overthrow the government. The coup plotters took over local media stations and forced one journalist at gunpoint to read a statement on air. Saying a new constitution was being prepared, accusing the government of eroding democratic and secular rule of law and that the country would now be run by a peace council. Twenty minutes later, President Erdogan popped up on CNN Turk. A reporter held up her phone while the president urged in a video call for people to take to the streets to oppose what was happening. There was fierce fighting on the streets, especially in Chengoukho.

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

It was now around 11:40pm the sounds of gunfire started falling very close to us. They were firing bullets at us. Around that time, the exterior light of the police station was on a floodlight. I said, let's turn off that light so we don't become an open target. When I came back outside, I was hit by a bullet.

[Emily Wither]

You can hear this man shouting, they shot our mukhtar. As Jan lies bloody on the street, as his neighbors pull him to safety, he's saying,

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

kids, get my food. You forgot my food over there. Imagine a great pain, great agony. I felt that my food had come off. They tried to keep me alive by giving me oxygen. And then everything went white. And I said, this is death. So this is what death is.

[Emily Wither]

As the neighborhood leader is rushed to hospital, the Turkish Parliament is bombed several times and the fierce fighting continues late into the night. But by around 9am the next day, it becomes clear the coup has not succeeded, and people start to cautiously celebrate. Less than 2012 hours after the attempted coup began, soldiers surrendered, walking from tanks with their hands above their heads. Equipment abandoned in the chaos.

[Narrator]

Over 300 people were killed, including Jan's nephew, and Jan was among more than 2,100 injured that night. Shot in the groin, he did not lose his foot as he first feared, but he still feels a burning sensation.

[Emily Wither]

The attempted coup divided and transformed Turkey in ways still felt today. The US based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his powerful Islamic movement was accused by the government of being the mastermind, a charge he denied until his death. The Turkish government detained nearly 300,000 people over suspected links to Gulen and suspended or sacked more than 150,000 civil servants.

[Narrator]

Hundreds of media outlets were shut and hundreds of opposition lawmakers jailed. Erdogan was accused of using the attempted coup as a pretext to muzzled dissent, an accusation he denied.

[Osman Can Jummadoo]

On the evening of July 15, 2016, people had come to Chenghalke to have fun. They had come to spend money. But when the situation suddenly changed, everyone said yes. What should our priority be? It should be how we defend our homeland. What mattered for us was the survival of the state. The flag remaining on the pole. You cannot afford to think politically here.

[Emily Wither]

The bridge next to Chengel Khuy has been renamed the 15th of July Martyrs Bridge, and all of the bus stops running to the neighbourhood are named after those that were killed that night, including Jan's nephew. Osman Can Jummadoo still serves as the mukhtar.

[Narrator]

He was speaking to me.

[Emily Wither]

Emily Wither in Istanbul for Witness History. Thank you for listening. Please share this episode with anyone you think would like to hear it. And if you enjoyed it, then there are others in the archive that you might also like, including one from the 1980 coup in Turkey and another one from me about a Bosphorus ship spotter who captured the moment Russia got involved in the Syrian civil War. You can find all of those episodes and more in the Witness History feed. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts.