Coup-Busters: Rise of the Machines

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Milliyet Newspaper, 24 July 2016)


Docile now but when called to action, watch out!

Heavy-duty machines played a crucial role in turning back the
coup attempt on 15 July.  It turns out that 20,000 of the 90,000
heavy-duty machines in Turkey were used against tanks and to
seal off military sites from where coup forces might emerge.

Tamer Öztoygar, chief of İMDER (Turkish Heavy-duty Machines
Distributors and Producers), took note of the 90,000 heavy-duty
machines currently in Turkey and explained that "60% of them are
used in rural areas and 40% in cities.  Heavy-duty machines and
dump trucks were used to stem the coup.  We contributed to
stopping the coup with 20,000 vehicles."

Relating the events of the coup night, Öztoygar said that "at first
everyone was trying to figure out what was going on.  Then, with
the President's instructions to come out on the streets, our sector
went into action, with heavy-duty machines, dump trucks and
winches utilized. Our citizens put these vehicles in front of military
sites."


                    "Heavy-duty Machines: 
         Merciless Foe of the Coup, Democracy's
                   Indispensable Equipment!"


One of the operators was killed while he was placing his vehicle
in front of the Istanbul municipal building, which was under attack.
Öztoygar explained that "our heavy-duty machines are as strong as
tanks and can even overturn them.  At 35-40 tons, our machines are
even stronger than tanks.  We're still on duty every night, with
operators working in shifts and changing their locations from time
to time. Until the President tells us to go home, we'll stay on duty."

Mayor Hilmi Türkmen of Üsküdar stated that "at 2200 on Friday
night our cleaning machines were making their rounds. When we
realized that the coup was underway we sent garbage trucks, dump
trucks, cleaning vehicles and sweepers to take control of critical
roads. We secured the road that leads to the TV transmitters in
Çamlıca and we sent our vehicles to the roads leading to the
(Bosphorus) bridge.  We blocked many military vehicles and tanks
from moving. On the morning of 16 July we piled up all of our
cleaning vehicles in front of the First Army HQS entrance. There
were 200 of our cleaning personnel on duty the night of the coup."


               Kudos to our Turkish cousins!