But the decision proved to be almost fatal: his intervention caused the terrorist to begin the attack early, with his first target being the officer.
According to Hurriyet, the officer texted his friend about the man after deciding he looked suspicious.
'He is walking around with a coat in this weather,' he wrote, adding: 'Brother, he looks like a robber, shall we follow him?'
His friend encourages him, and the men call on back up.
Unaware of the danger, they asked for ID, and the man bent down, pretending to look for it. When he stood back up, he was holding a gun, which he fires at the officers three time.
The terrorist then ran downstairs, outside in front of international arrivals, where - near the taxi rank - he explodes at exactly 9.51pm.
The officer, who is expecting his first child with his wife, is now fighting for his life in hospital.
The story emerged at the same time as a still from airport CCTV showing one of the terrorists shooting a plain clothes policeman at point-blank range.
An image of the three of them walking into the airport together has also been made public, while Turkish officials have revealed the men came from Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. It is thought there were eight other people involved in the terror plot.
A one-armed Chechen warlord has been named as the mastermind of Istanbul airport massacre, it has emerged. Akhmed Chataev is said to be the brains behind the attack after three suicide bombers launched a coordinated assault on Ataturk Airport on Tuesday, according to Turkish media.
Chilling CCTV footage has emerged that shows how terrified passengers fled the terminal as ISIS gunmen opened fire.
Holidaymakers can be seen calmly going about their business in what appears to be the airport check-in area before a commotion by the entrance causes activity to ground to a halt.
As the passengers realize that the airport is under attack, they start running away from the entrance and further into the airport seeking cover.
Three suicide bombers went on a coordinated rampage through the terminal on Tuesday night killing 43 people - 19 of them foreigners - and injuring more than 300.
Turkey has been plunged into mourning over the carnage at Ataturk airport, the deadliest of several attacks to strike Turkey's biggest city this year and police carried out more than a dozen raids across Istanbul early Thursday, arresting 13 people including four foreigners, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said.
CIA director John Brennan said the attack, which has sparked international condemnation, bore the 'hallmark' of the jihadist group.
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