Turkish senior citizen fights coup on behalf of young

By Suleyman Umit Gurhan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) – Saliha Gunduz, 80, witnessed all four coups in Turkey’s history, but during the deadly July 15 putsch attempt, she took to the streets to stop it from ever happening again.

"When I heard about a coup unfolding, my whole world fell apart, because I have experienced a coup before," Gunduz, who lives in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, told Anadolu Agency.

"Youngsters were being tortured in [previous] coup periods," said Gunduz, adding that if the July 15 failed coup had succeeded, Turkey’s youth would have paid the price.

Standing and walking with help from a stick during anti-coup protests, Gunduz said she was out in the streets to "defend the future and rights of [Turkey’s] youth."

Until the failed July 15 putsch, the army had intervened directly in Turkish politics in 1960,1971, 1980 and in 1997, carrying out a "postmodern coup".

U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gulen has been accused of being the mastermind behind the latest failed coup. His followers and members of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) are accused of attempting to infiltrate Turkey’s vital state institutions -- especially the military, police apparatus and judiciary -- with the ultimate aim of creating a "parallel state".

"[Gulen] just fools people into thinking that he is a religious man," Gunduz said about the preacher, who has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.

"If he was a real Muslim, he would not commit such a thing."

At least 246 people, including civilians and security personnel, were martyred -- and more than 2,100 injured -- during the illegal July 15 putsch attempt.

"Weapons and bombs, used to protect [Turkey], were used by FETO to attack the people," Gunduz said.

"[FETO] martyred people with the war jet paid for by taxpayers’ money."