How Erdogan supporters see their Turkey today

On 15 July a year ago members of the Turkish military attempted to take over the power in their country. The coup attempt failed. There followed a wave of arrests and layoffs and a constitutional referendum, which gives President Recep Tayyip Erdogan more power. His adherents are loyal to him.

Supporters of Turkey's President Erdogan stand in front of the Presidential Palace in Ankara.

Sevim Ismailoglu - around forty - is holding a photograph of a big, open wound in the air. The back of her daughter. Shattered by a ball that the putschists fired at the then 14-year-olds exactly one year ago.

"We were sitting in front of the TV that night, waiting for the president's speech, and when he called the people to go out into the street, we had already laid our headscarf-ready to follow his call."

Mother Sevim's eyes are tearful as she recalls the night she was together with hundreds of other inhabitants of her conservative district of Istanbul to stop the killing soldiers and, as she will say, Turkish democracy defend.

"I wish you had become a martyr"

Only ten minutes later, her daughter was bleeding. There followed four days of coma, intensive care unit, countless doctor visits - but also the pride and the feeling of doing something good.

"I have never regretted that we went out and my daughter Adviyye was wounded, on the contrary, sometimes I even say to her: I wish you had become a martyr."

The fact that Adviyye almost died did not only make her a heroine in the eyes of her mother. Dozens of times the high school student has appeared last year, has told students, students and journalists why she was on the road on July 15 - and why she would do it again at any time.

"I speak as much as I can about this event," the 15-year-old says seriously. "If we had not been out that night, we would have had a terrible future, why should there have been a coup, where we have just won democracy in this country, where we are doing well?"

Friends and enemies of Turkey

Friends and enemies of Turkey

Adviyye's mother nods in agreement. She is always present at the shows of her daughter. The fight for Turkish democracy has long been the life of the family. Sevim proudly shows a framed photograph in the corner of the small living room on which her daughter poses together with President Erdogan. To him, she says, we owe everything we have.

"I love our President very much, especially his honesty, may God rather take my life than his, this country needs him so much."

The coup attempt a year ago has brought the family and their friends closer to the President and the AKP. Whoever thinks differently, his voice even gives the opposition, is in their eyes an enemy of Turkey. And from this, Mother Sevim is convinced, there are many. Best evidence: the continuing arrests and dismissals of alleged Gülen supporters, of whom the media reports daily.

Hope for the death penalty

"I think that we are on a good path, especially on the 15th of July, we have shown that we must be more vigilant, and since the cleansing that has existed, much has improved, Our country will continue to evolve. "

One thing that Mother Sevim wants from her President is a just punishment for those who shot her daughter in the back 12 months ago. "I always wanted these traitors to get exactly what they did to us, just as Islamic law demands, but as this is hardly possible, I hope that the death penalty will soon be introduced."