Turkish soldier recounts his unforgettable night in al-Bab

Serving at Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) as a Specialist Corporal in the Operation Euphrates Shield, Niyazi Pekdoğan, who was wounded as a result of a car bomb attack during the clashes in which 16 Turkish soldiers were martyred, but numerous Daesh terrorists were killed, told his story.

Having injuries on his legs and arms and rib fractures, Pekdoğan returned to his hometown, Kırıkkale province of Turkey where he is receiving medical treatment.

He said he is a proud veteran and looking forward to fight again shoulder to shoulder with his friends whom he had to leave in the front:

“In the last clash, a suicide bomber attacked with a car and after the detonation, a wall fell down on me and my friends, trapping us under the rubble."

Stressing that Daesh terrorists cannot even lift a finger due to TAF's airstrikes and bombardment, Pekdoğan said:

“The only thing they do is attack with bomb-laden vehicles. Nonetheless, we could still neutralize them somehow by stopping them with gunfire. Once, we heard an incident and immediately went to the conflict region as reinforcing forces. On that day, Turkish soldiers killed many terrorists and captured the al-Bab hospital. Then my squad positioned there. But suddenly, they appeared by passing through underground tunnels and continuously changing their places. Those terrorists were opening fire on us; however we were not able to see their heads. But at the end we detected some of those tunnels and blew them up. This time, they came out of their hidden compartment with a bomb-laden car. The guy driving the car was so afraid that he detonated himself very earlier. As a result, the wall we used to take cover fell down on us. Eight other people, my friends, were trapped under the wall and wounded. Thank Allah, they are all very well now."

Underlining that he wants to go back to the army, to his friends, once he recovers, Veteran soldier Niyazi Pekdoğan said:

“I really want to get back on duty and help my friends. This country belongs to us all. Who will defend, if we don't? We are ready to perform duty everywhere and every time for our Turkey's security and territorial integrity. We can die a martyr if necessary. We only wish Allah to bless our country. May Allah rest all our martyred soldiers' souls."