UPDATE 2
It seems clear now that the attempted military coup has failed in under 12 hours. Over a thousand military personnel are under arrest. The death toll from the incident stands at just under 100. Dozens of senior military officers have been relieved of their positions.
It is clear that the coup was poorly planned and poorly executed, and the coup plotters are now facing grim days as Erdogan leads a purge and tightens his grip over every aspect of Turkish life.
UPDATE
It appears that the coup plotters have made a critical error in not shutting down access to the internet. Tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have heeded calls by Erdogan and others to turn out on the streets and confront the military forces. BBC is reporting that the state broadcaster is back on air after Erdogan supporters swamped the building.
As it stands, momentum is now against the coup plotters. They will not be facing a happy ending at this rate.
(Fact: Turkey has the largest military out of all European NATO countries, i.e. even compared to the UK, Germany and France).
The moment an explosion hits the Turkish Parliamentary buildings:
—
Early reports in via RT and Zero Hedge
Tanks, military personnel and fighter jets have been deployed around Ankara – all without Turkish Government permission.
It is quite possible that secular elements of the Turkish Armed Forces are no longer confident in the Erdogan’s government pro-Islamist handling of the Syrian/Iraqi/Kurdish/Russian confrontation which has deeply hurt both the Turkish economy and Turkish security over the last 2-3 years.
From RT:
Part of the military is attempting a coup in Turkey, the country’s Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said, following reports of military jets and helicopters flying low over Ankara and Istanbul.
“Some people took illegal action outside of the chain of command,” Yildirim told news network NTV. “The government elected by the people remains in charge. This government will only go when the people say so,” he added.
According to the PM, Turkish security forces were doing what needs to be done to resolve the situation.
The Turkish Military say they have now got control of the country (via Zero Hedge):
The State broadcaster TRT, occupied by military officers, announces that military has taken over the authority all across Turkey. The military just declared martial law.
TURKEY’S GOVT LOST ITS LEGITIMACY AND HAS BEEN OVERTHROWN: TRT
MARTIAL LAW DECLARED ACROSS TURKEY UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: TRT
TURKEY’S STATE-RUN TRT TV READS OUT STATEMENT FROM ARMY GROUP
ERDOGAN ON HIS WAY TO ATATURK AIRPORT: ANADOLU
More updates as they become available.
Update: The BBC is reporting that thousands of citizens have taken to the streets and are confronting the army coup plotters. The main TV station appears to have been liberated from the military and there are reports that the police have arrested some of the military. President Erdogan is trying to re-enter the country (he was on holiday) and he has spoken to the nation via social media.
Live Updates:
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress