We were trapped in president’s hotel. We heard the helicopter. Then the bullets
Tourists sharing resort with leader reveal plotters’ assassination attempt
A Scots tourist staying in the same resort as Turkey’s president yesterday told of her terror as coup troops attacked their hotel while trying to seize power.
Tonia McGinley revealed how she and her terrified family barricaded themselves in their room as gunfire erupted outside.
Military personnel attacked the hotel in the resort of Marmaris after learning President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was staying there.
He was on holiday when the army plotters made their moved to take charge on Friday night.
And he was still at the resort when he took to Skype to urged supporters to confront the soldiers – telling them “go to the streets and give them their answer”.
He gave the call to arms in an interview broadcast from the hotel on a television reporter’s smartphone in a move that helped ral ly popular support against the coup.
Erdogan is understood to have left for the capital Ankara before soldiers arrived at the Grand Yazici Club Turban in the middle of the night with helicopter guns blazing. As the plotters tried to hunt down the president, Tonia told how one group from the military later burst into a neighbour’s room to hide from police.
The mum of three said she was first alerted to unrest in the country via a phonecall from her mother-inlaw in Scotland late on Friday.
Tonia, 49, of Cumbernauld, who’s in Marmaris with partner Mark and their twins boys Jack and Nathan, said yesterday: “My phone rang and woke us up and it was my mother-in-law asking if we were okay.
“She started asking about the military coup which she was seeing on the news.
“We’d heard the president and his family were staying here. There was a blacked-out car which arrived with dozens of police guards.
“None of us had any idea what was going on – but felt there was no immediate danger and that we would deal with anything in the morning.
“Later, at about 4am, I heard gunshots followed by the sound of helicopters.
“I jumped straight out of bed and called the boys into our room.
“I know it might sound like an over- reaction but I got some furniture and barricaded the door.
“The gunshots were getting closer and closer – it was terrifying.
“Your mind just runs wild – questions just run through your thoughts.
“We wondered if they were coming in here and were we next.
“We were trying to keep quiet but it kept getting louder.
“There are lots of villas here and people said they could see a helicopter with gunshots coming from it. Tonia, who also has a daughter Abby who’s currently on holiday in the US, said: “We were too terrified to even leave the room.
“We’ve been hearing from people who say they have found bullet casings and blood stains on the pavements.
“We found out the president and his family were staying here and that’s why it was targeted.
“He’s said to be back in Ankara now – but we understand there were people killed here last night so it is still a horrifying situation.
“We’re her for the rest of the week and I would go home now – but the reps are recommending we stay where we are and remain inside.
“They’re saying it was not terrorists and that it was the president they were looking for.”
She added: “We heard from someone that four soldiers knocked their door and, when they opened it, they burst in and took refuge in their room for two hours.
“It appears they were hiding from the police. It’s unbelievable. We’re told the trouble may be over but you just get the feeling the whole situation is very unsettled.
“We saw villas near here which had been shot at.
“One young Dutch couple were in tears telling us it had been absolute carnage.
“You could see the bullet holes and the ceiling falling down and balconies which had been blown up.. It’s horrific.
“That was right across cross from where the president was and they said it was a terrifying experience.
“The police presence here now is really heavy. There are guns everywhere.”
Another British tourist caught up in Marmaris has described how he feared for his life as gunshots rang out in the resort. Daniel Worley, 22,
from Kingsthorpe, in Northamptonshire, said he and friend Gemma Errington had been aware that the embattled president was staying in their resort. He said they thought they could hear gunfire overhead from 1am until 6am in Marmaris. Explosions were also reported in the capital Ankara and Istanbul. Daniel said: “It was terrifying. We heard a helicopter over Marmaris and gunshots - we just locked ourselves in the room. “Earlier we were sat on the balcony and could hear protesters. “We panicked because we found out the president was on holiday in Marmaris. “We didn’t know what to do. We just sat tight and hoped we didn’t get hurt or that anything bad was going to happen.
“We didn’t know what it meant or what was going to happen. It’s the unknown.
“We were watching the news the whole time and witnessing the horrific ordeal. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
He said he had no plans to cut his holiday short and would return to the UK as planned this week.
He added: “We aren’t letting this ruin our holiday.”
Rangers ladies footballer Rhonda Jones, who’s on holiday in Turkey, posted a video on Twitter showing a bullet hole in a window at her hotel in Marmaris.
She reported hearing “exchanged gunfire up and down the street and a small explosion”.
Late on Friday, she posted a picture and video of cars and scooters packed in a main street, loudly sounding their horns, and said: “Bit scared... what’s going on?”