Did the Snipers Deployed by Brigadier General Ahmet Hacıoğlu Target Civilians on July 15?

Lieutenant Colonel Ertuğrul Terzi, who was allegedly lured into a trap under the pretext of a counter-terrorism assignment and sent to the Gendarmerie General Command on July 15, recounted the events of that night and its aftermath in his defense statement.

Following the events, Brigadier General Ahmet Hacıoğlu was portrayed in the media as a heroic commander resisting the coup plotters. However, it later emerged that in the early stages of the so-called coup attempt, he had positioned snipers in nearby buildings, and these sniper shots may have caused several suspicious deaths.

Snipers Positioned in Surrounding Buildings

It was revealed that Brigadier General Ahmet Hacıoğlu himself admitted in a statement that he had “personally deployed sniper units to the surrounding high-rise buildings,” and that “these units had neutralized eight individuals, approximately around 1:00 a.m.” Questions remain unanswered regarding how Hacıoğlu made such a decision in the middle of a crisis, from what time he became aware of the coup, and—despite the lack of any formal planning—when exactly these sniper units were positioned.

Lieutenant Colonel Ertuğrul Terzi, who was also held responsible for the deaths of two people at the Gendarmerie General Command, raised the following questions in court:

“Of the citizens who lost their lives that night, how many were targeted by these snipers? In this context, the July 15 radio recordings of the Ankara Police Department dated September 9, 2016, which contain evidence of snipers firing on the public, should be taken into account. Is there a connection between the fact that no bullet fragments were found during autopsies of civilian victims—or if they were found, they were not included in the reports—and the actions of these snipers? Also, how is it that not a single ballistic analysis was conducted regarding the deceased civilians, and what possible link could this have with the snipers?”

Mysterious Police Inquiry One Day Before July 15

On July 14, it was found out that a police unit came to the Gendarmerie General Command and inquired about the thickness and bullet resistance of the glass in the guard post. That night, armor-piercing bullets were used, as evidenced by the autopsy report of Yakup Büyükbaş, who was shot and killed. This raised the question of whether there was any connection between the snipers and the police unit.

Camera Footage from the Sniper Building Erased

Although the prosecutor requested security camera footage from the Gendarmerie General Command six days after the incident, footage from surrounding private buildings and complexes was not requested until August 2—18 days later. Investigations revealed that these complexes only stored footage for 15 days, and the relevant footage had been thus already erased when it was requested. It was also found that no action was taken to recover the deleted footage. One of the buildings alleged to have had its footage deleted—Ihlamur Complex—was of critical importance due to its clear view of the area and being the suspected sniper location. The fact that access to such vital footage was blocked with such a weak excuse raises suspicion that efforts were made to conceal who was truly responsible for the deaths that night.

Salim Sancak

Source:
Defense statement of defendant Ertuğrul Terzi, recorded via SEGBİS (Audio-Visual Communication System) during the hearings on 31/01/2019 and 01/02/2019 in the case file numbered 2017/109 of the Ankara 17th High Criminal Court.