Almost 200 people have been killed in a violent attempted military coup in Turkey.
104 attempted plotters died and close to 90 civilians after a faction of the Turkish the military began their attempt to overthrow the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. More than 1000 people have been injured.
Close to 200 rebel soldiers have reportedly surrendered to police and more than 1500 military officers have been detained.
Gunfire and explosions rocked both the main city of Istanbul and the capital city of Ankara. But by early Saturday (local time) there were signs the coup was crumbling.
A senior Turkish official reportedly said attacks on Turkish Parliament and the presidential palace had largely stopped.
Close to 50 involved in the coup were seen surrendering on a bridge in Istanbul, abandoning their tanks in the air.
In the first few hours of the coup attempt airports were shut, internet access was cut, and two bridges leading into Istanbul were sealed.
One of these bridges was still lit up in red, white and blue in solidarity with victims of the truck attack in Nice, France the previous day.
Troops took control of local state television, and broadcast an announcement for a curfew for civilians.
Claiming to speak for the entire Turkish Armed Forces, the coup leaders released a statement to local news outlets saying they were attempting to topple the government “in the name of protecting democracy”.
President Erdogan has labelled the coup attempt as “treason” and the perpetrators as “terrorists”.
He vowed the attempted coup would be put down.
Overnight crowds answered his call to defy the curfew order, taking to the streets to support him.
Crowds of people gathered overnight in major squares in Istanbul and Ankara to show support for the elected government.
Police warned the crowds that military aircraft could open fire, and urged people to leave Istanbul’s bustling Taksim square.
Journalists on the ground saw tanks open fire near the parliament building in Ankara, which they had surrounded. An opposition MP said the building was hit three times and that people had been wounded.
Video has also emerged which allegedly shows helicopters firing on civilians.
President Erdogan flew back into Istanbul earlier this morning after the attempted coup began, returning from Marmaris on the Turkish coast where he was on holiday.
He has also announced that Turkish Airlines has resumed flights and Ankara airport will resume service very shortly.
Turkey’s military headquarters are now held by pro-government forces, but small groups of rebel soldiers are still resisting and control some military helicopters.
On Australian soil, over 1000 people have converged in Melbourne in a demonstration to support the Turkish President and condemn the coup.
Top Comments
Military coup that falters almost immediately, press on hand easily enough, a few hundred judges rounded up as well. No significant government members hurt. Nice false flag.
He shouldn't have anymore trouble getting through the changes to democracy to consolidate his power and authority as leader.
That's just what we all need, Turkey lurching to hardline Islamic fundamentalism. Wonder what Europe feels, losing Britain and Turkeys EU application pending in its place.