A ROSYTH family hid terrified in their Turkish hotel room as rebel soldiers stormed the hotel next door.

Mike Dignan and his family were awoken by the sound of two military helicopters and gunfire during their stay at popular holiday resort Marmaris.

Mike, 40, and his wife Sarah, 39, hid in their hotel room with their two children as militants searched the hotel next door looking for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in an attempted military coup last Friday night.

Police forces loyal to the President responded, causing a gun fight in the early hours of the morning before rebels discovered Erdogan had fled from the area.

Mike, who was staying at the Grand Yazici Turban, told the Press: “It was a surreal and extraordinary experience. I can’t put it into words really.

“You see the video footage from Syria where there’s heavy gunfire and unrest everyday and I guess that almost made me numb or blasé towards the situation over there. 

“When you’re actually involved or near the action as it were, it’s absolutely terrifying and you can understand how scared civilians there are on a daily basis. 

“The scariest part was hearing the police firing bullets off the helicopters and hearing them ricochet above us.

"It was so loud, especially as the fighting intensified and the helicopter started to fire back with heavy machine guns.

"We could hear the fighting on the streets as well and the people running and shouting past where we were staying and outside our door. It was scary.”

He added: “I was pressing my ear against the door to try and understand what was happening outside and hoping they wouldn’t break into our room at any point. We were very fortunate that never happened.

“In the afternoon it was as if nothing had happened. Police were out in force with guns and heavy armour to show strength but after a number of patrols, they were away.

"You could see the damage caused by the night’s events as there were bullet holes in the walls and balconies had been completely shot out. Some cars had been damaged as well. 

“People were panicking trying to arrange flights home as soon as they could as they just wanted to get out of there. We just stayed calm. We realised after Erdogan left the area we were actually in the safest place. We managed to get home safely which is the main thing.”