New footage of the bloodbath captured on CCTV cameras from multiple angles reveals the true horror that unfolded on the Bosphorus Bridge on the night of July 15 when civilians clashed with rogue military forces who tried to take power in the country.
#TurkeyPurge LIVE UPDATES: Post-coup crackdown
As tanks rolled onto the streets of Istanbul on Friday night, by 7:30pm GMT, uniformed soldiers from the breakaway army units proceeded to block two major bridges – Bosphorus Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.
After gunfire and explosions rocked Istanbul, soldiers took up positions and ordered a state television channel to read out a message declaring they had taken power.
The announcement mobilized civilians on the Asian side of the famous Bosphorus Bridge, which connects the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
Coup soldiers and military vehicles, including tanks, quickly blocked the path to the European side, to prevent anti-coup activists from ruining the takeover plans.
The showdown at the bridge was one of the most dramatic episodes during the coup attempt, a night full of fighting in which bloodshed erupted when young soldiers armed with machine guns and tanks confronted an emotionally charged crowd in their thousands.
New video of the bloody Friday night showdown demonstrated the indiscriminate killings of civilians by the rogue Turkish forces. Tank shell fire, rounds of automatic weapons discharge, civilian panic, and relentless drive not to surrender to putschists are all depicted in the CCTV footage.
WARNING: SOME MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING FOOTAGE DISTURBING
The night on the Bosphorus Bridge ended on Saturday morning, when civilians, despite heavy losses managed to stand their ground. The Bosphorus bridge became an iconic spot while some 246 people were killed across the country following the deadly night of confrontations. A further 2,185 people were wounded.
To commemorate the victims, thousands gathered on the Bosphorus Bridge on Thursday night to denounce the failed coup attempt. “Our martyrs are immortal, our nation cannot be divided!” a crowd chanted as they waved Turkish flags walking across the bridge linking the European and Asian sides of the city.