One of the people who ran out onto the streets to stand up against the coup attempt was Dr. Sezai Çelik, who performed first aid on the casualties who were shot while resisting on the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, and he saved many lives.
Thoracic surgery specialist operator Doctor Sezai Çelik, whilst resting at home, received a phone call from his sister who lived in Sapanca and learned that an unusual hustle was going on in Istanbul. Making a few more phone calls, he gathered his neighbors who lived in the same area after he learnt these activities were not normal. Initially blocking the main entrance with their cars to prevent soldiers from going in, neighbors set off to the squares.
Chanting‘God is the greatest!’ after cannon sounds
Walking out to the Bosporus Bridge in 30-35 minutes with eight friends from the neighborhood, Sezai was examining the injured. At some point, the number of the wounded was so high he eventually had to remove the Turkish flag he was carrying on his back and tie it to an injured person’s leg. In the meantime, people were being martyred by tank bullets, while others were being martyred by G3 infantry rifles. Doctor Çelik testified about that night, “Young people showed an exemplary fight on the bridge. They took the wounded to hospitals in their vehicles. People chanted ‘God is the greatest!’ along the Bosphorus. After each bullet fired at civilians by the soldiers, chantings of ‘God is the greatest!’ would grow louder. Toward the dawn prayer hours, the green grass was covered with Turkish flags. People gathered and prayed. Putschist troops fired their guns where people were performing their dawn prayers.”
He couldn’t move his hand
During the most critical moments, a tank bullet exploded next to Doctor Çelik and people nearby were injured one after another. He never forgot that scene when people were dispersed around with the impact of the explosion. When he regained consciousness, his ears were deafened. He carried three injured people to the last ambulance. One of them was badly injured, he couldn't move his hand because his leg was completely shattered. When he went to the hospital with the last casualty, he learned from his friends on the bridge that traitors were beginning to surrender.
After everything he went through and the efforts he made, he was finally able to arrive home by taking three different cars and walking some of the way. He was covered with blood, yet he was at peace. Doctor Sezai Çelik, who completely did his nationality and his occupation proud, became one of the heroes of the night of July 15th on the bridge where tens of people became martyrs.
