Turkish military says it’s taken control of country

World Today

Turkish soldiers secure the area, as supporters of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul’s Taksim square, early Saturday, July 16, 2016. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

A Turkish news agency has published a statement from the military saying the armed forces have “fully seized control” of the country.

The Dogan agency reported that the statement said that the military did this “to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated.”

View from the Ankara, Turkey on Friday night


Captured by CCTV reporter Yu Peng.

According to AFP. The Anadolu Agency reports that Turkish prime minister said more than 120 arrested over coup attempt; ‘it’s getting better with each passing moment.’

Early in the conflict, according to Anadolu Agency, there were reports that bomb has hit the Turkish parliament in Ankara.

The military statement went on to say that “all international agreements and commitments will remain. We pledge that good relations with all world countries will continue.”

The Associated Press reported that soldiers are firing on people trying to cross Istanbul’s Bosporus bridge in protest of the attempted coup, some have been hurt. Taksim Square was also blocked off by soldiers on Friday night as a Turkish military secured positions.

People spilled out onto the streets Friday night, as shops and restaurants closed after reports of the coup. Gunfire was also heard on the streets of Istanbul.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan has urged citizens to take to the streets in a show of support for the government after the military said it seized full control of the country.

View images of the turmoil in Turkey

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Erdogan called the actions by the military “an attempt at an uprising by a minority within our armed forces.”

The president’s office refused to disclose Erdogan’s whereabouts, saying he was at a secure location. Erdogan said “I don’t believe this coup attempt will be successful.”

Erdogan added: “There is absolutely no chain of command here. Right now the chain of command has been put on hold.”

If successful, the overthrow of Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey since 2003, would amount to one of the biggest shifts in power in the Middle East in years.

Earlier, military jets were heard flying over the capital, Ankara. Media reports said ambulances were seen in front of the Turkish military headquarters. NTV is reporting that helicopters are also flying over headquarters in Ankara.

Street in Istanbul Friday night with helicopters flying above

From CCTV reporter Wang Wenliang.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told NTV television earlier that there had been an attempted coup: “It is correct that there was an attempt.”

Yildirim didn’t provide details, but said Turkey would never allow any “initiative that would interrupt democracy.”

“We are focusing on the possibility of an attempt (coup),” Yildirim said. “There was an illegal act by a group within the military that was acting out of the chain of military command. Our people should know that we will not allow any activity that would harm democracy.”

Diken news tweets that soldiers have entered the building of national broadcaster TRT:

 

The Prime Minister said earlier that they were focusing on who was behind the attempt.

“There are certain groups who took the arms trusted to them by the state and pointed them toward state employees,” Yildirim said. “We shall determine soon who they are. Our security forces have acted against these groups.”

The Dogan news agency says one-way traffic on the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges were blocked. Video footage showed the bridge being blocked by military vehicles.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said just after learning of the news that he hoped for stability, peace, continuity in Turkey as coup was apparently under way.

Story by the Associated Press and Reuters.


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