Syrian refugee shot by coup plotting soldiers during failed attempt

ISTANBUL - Anadolu Agency

A Syrian refugee was shot by coup plotting soldiers during the July 15 failed coup attempt. Omer Halid Dervise, 21, is still in coma, his brother told Anadolu Agency on July 22. 

“My brother has been heavily wounded after he was shot by the coup plotters on the night of July 15. He is still in a coma,” Hassan Halid Dervise said, adding they went out to the street upon President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s call for people to take to the streets in protest.

“There was news saying a coup was occurring. Later, President Erdoğan appeared and he made a call to take to the streets.  This is not just a matter for Turks, but also a matter of freedom, justice and humanity. So we had to abide by the call. We owe this country. We had to stand with the people,” Halid Dervise said. 

The Syrian brothers then headed to a municipal building in Istanbul’s Fatih district to support protesters trying to stop military vehicles and soldiers attempting to take control.  
      
“When we reached the municipal building, a group of soldiers had already surrounded it. Those soldiers suddenly began to open fire on the crowd. My brother Omer moved to the front to shoot a video and a bullet tore off his lip. It was not a serious wound, just bleeding. We, with our friends, carried more wounded people to a safe place where cars were stationed,” Halid Dervise also said.        

After they carried wounded people to safe places, the brothers turned back to the front line when special operations police arrived at the building.  

“We walked with the crowd. In the last fire, we were very close to the area where soldiers were stationed. I was trying to stick together with my brother but the soldiers suddenly began to fire on us. I lost my brother and friends when the crowd dispersed,” Halid Dervise said.        

Halid Dervise said that he phoned his brother but he did not respond. Halid Dervise’s friends later said the plotters had shot his brother and he had been taken to a hospital.        

“We all ran to the hospital. He was in the intensive care unit. He was shot from behind while fleeing... He is still in critical condition,” he added.