Security camera footage made public in November 2017 showed National Intelligence Organization (MİT) Undersecretary Hakan Fidan leaving Turkish General Staff headquarters shortly before military units began moving during the July 15, 2016 coup attempt.
The footage placed Fidan at the headquarters until about 8:20 p.m., following a meeting with then Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar and other senior commanders about a warning received by MİT earlier that day.
A female military officer was seen escorting Fidan from the building.
The footage was included in an expert report examining security camera recordings from General Staff headquarters and was added to the case file in the trial concerning events there.
Its release provided visual confirmation of Fidan’s movements during a period that remained central to questions about what Turkey’s military and intelligence leadership knew before the violence began.
According to a report MİT submitted to parliament’s commission investigating the coup attempt, Fidan was with Akar at around 6 p.m. when he called the head of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s protection detail.
The report said Fidan could not speak directly with Erdoğan but was told by the protection chief that there was no sign of anything unusual around the president.
Fidan remained at General Staff headquarters while commanders investigated a warning concerning a possible operation against him.
MİT said Fidan left at 8:20 p.m. because the Land Forces commander had not reported information confirming the warning and because Fidan had an 8:30 p.m. appointment at MİT headquarters with Moaz al-Khatib, a former leader of the main Syrian opposition coalition.
The timing drew attention because visible military activity associated with the coup attempt began within minutes of Fidan’s departure.
Critics questioned why Fidan left General Staff headquarters for a scheduled meeting despite the earlier warning and why neither he nor Akar directly informed Erdoğan of the possibility of a broader military uprising.
The footage confirmed Fidan’s departure time, but it did not establish what was discussed during his meetings with Akar or what conclusions officials had reached before he left.
Fidan and Akar did not testify in person before parliament’s coup investigation commission. Both instead provided written responses, leaving lawmakers unable to question them directly about the warning, their meeting and the decisions taken during the hours before the coup attempt began.
