Three soldiers arrested for killing five people with tank in Istanbul

“We received information from Lt. Col. Serbülent Eker that there was an attack on Istanbul police headquarters on Vatan Street. Upon this information we departed from the unit in Topkule to save it,” said Keleşoğlu in his testimony, while adding that he learned about the coup attempt from his relatives. 

“My relatives texted me saying that there was a coup attempt going on. I replied to them by saying that there was no coup and we went there to support the police headquarters,” he also said. 

Saying that he thought the tank had left the road and entered a plot, Keleşoğlu added people protesting the coup attempt climbed onto the tank at one point. 

“The tank started to speed up and slow down at one point. I thought it went off the road and entered a plot, because it was shaking excessively and was tilting from time to time. The citizens then got on it. I saw Capt. Serdar Değirmendere getting in the tank after being beaten by them in the top turret,” he also said.