Turkish coup survivor lives with 20 shrapnel fragments decade after attack

A survivor of Türkiye’s defeated 2016 coup attempt has lived for the past decade with 20 shrapnel fragments lodged in his body after being wounded by helicopter fire outside the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

Abdurrahman Kafkas, 33, was visiting his brother in the Turkish capital when news of the coup attempt emerged.

The brothers first went to the headquarters of the ruling AK Party before joining a crowd moving toward the Presidential Complex to confront tanks.

“There was a strange feeling, a different atmosphere,” Kafkas told Anadolu. “As though we had all agreed beforehand, young and old, women and men, everyone began running together toward the complex.”

Kafkas said police warned the group that they were entering a dangerous area, but the crowd continued.

After reaching armored vehicles at around 12.45 am local time (2145GMT), they waved Turkish flags and chanted as troops fired into the air to keep them away.

While filming the scene on his phone, Kafkas said a helicopter opened fire on the crowd.

“The noise and pressure were so intense that I felt as though the organs in my body were being pushed downward,” he said.

He initially did not realize he had been hit but soon lost sensation in his legs and saw blood flowing as he tried to use his phone.

Another civilian used Kafkas’ shirt to apply pressure to a large wound on his left leg before carrying him to safety. Passing motorists then took him to a hospital.

Doctors found 22 shrapnel fragments in his body. Two were removed from his foot because they would have prevented him from walking, while 20 remain.

Kafkas, who lives in the northwestern province of Bursa, said he regards the fragments as “medals of honor” and does not complain about his condition, citing those killed or left with more severe injuries.

“The pain of that night remains fresh for those who experienced it, as if it happened yesterday,” he said. “Even today, I can say I am glad I went out.”

A faction of the Turkish military linked to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) attempted to seize power on July 15, 2016, using tanks, fighter jets and helicopters against civilians and state institutions. The attempt left 253 people dead and thousands wounded.

Kafkas now recounts his experience to younger generations, stressing that the events were not merely scenes from documentaries and that survivors are still alive to describe what happened.

“Our aim is to move forward by learning from the past,” he said.