reporter: ayla kasarci was lucky, she was only grazed by a passing bullet. appened on the evening of july 15 last year, close to the bosphorus bridge in istanbul. ayla: over there near the crash barrier. that was where i was shot at. reporter: ayla had blocked the way for soldiers attempting to stage a coup, together with hundreds of other demonstrators. dozens were killed when the soldiers opened fire. ayla was hit in the arm, her husband in the stomach. ayla: we knew they'd shoot at us, but i wasn't afraid. my only thought was, my children will still grow up without a father or mother, but they won't grow up if they have no fatherland. reporter: kasarci is a fervent supporter of president erdogan. she and the other protesters who stood against the renegade soldiers are now celebrated as veterans of july 15. the government was quick to blame the attempted coup on followers of islamic cleric fetullah gulen. but many turks question the official version of events. on the night of the coup, the parliament in ankara was bombed by fighter jets, while the delegates