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Turkey coup attempt fails

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has flown in to Istanbul, after an army group said it took over the country.

He was seen surrounded by cheering supporters, saying in a live TV speech that the coup attempt was an “act of treason” and the army must be cleansed.

Sixty people died during overnight clashes, many of them civilians, and 336 people were arrested, officials said.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the situation was largely under control.

He has ordered the military to shoot down aircraft being used by coup plotters.

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the military chief of staff, Gen Hulusi Akar, are still unknown. He is reported to have been taken hostage by rebel soldiers.

Turkey President Erdogan
Turkey President Erdogan

Gen Umit Dundar, commander of the 1st Army, has been appointed acting chief of staff.

Sporadic gunfire is still reported in major cities.

Reports also say rebel soldiers in some areas have been surrendering their weapons to police loyal to Mr Erdogan.

The surrender of one unit of 60 soldiers, who had taken control of one of the Bosphorus bridges in Istanbul, was shown live on TV on Saturday morning.

Istanbul’s main Ataturk airport is now under army control, and flights – which had been interrupted for some hours – were due to resume from 06:00 (03:00 GMT).

In a statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said the coup attempt “was foiled by the Turkish people in unity and solidarity. Our president and government are in charge”.

“Turkish Armed Forces was not involved in the coup attempt in its entirety. It was conducted by a clique within the armed forces and received a well-deserved response from our nation.”

It is unclear who is leading the coup faction or how much support it enjoys.

The group earlier declared that a “peace council” now ran the country and there was a curfew and martial law.

Soldiers were seen at strategic points in Istanbul, with jets flying low in Ankara.

Two large explosion were also heard near Istanbul’s central Taksim Square.

There were also reports of blasts at parliament building in Ankara. MPs were believed to be hiding in shelters.

Broadcaster CNN Turk was reportedly taken over by soldiers, and its live broadcast was cut.

In Washington, US President Barack Obama urged all parties in Turkey to support the “democratically elected government”.

Nato called for “full respect” for Turkey’s democratic institutions.

European Council President Donald Tusk said the country was “a key partner for the European Union”.

“We call for a swift return to Turkey’s constitutional order,” he added.

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