At least 260 killed in attempted military coup in Turkey
On Friday, Turkey’s army said that they had taken over the country’s administration in an attempted coup to protect “democratic order” and to maintain human rights.
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On Friday, Turkey's army said that they had taken over the country's administration in an attempted coup to protect "democratic order" and to maintain human rights. Photo: AFP
According to local media reports, the Turkish army has taken over state TV and imposed martial law in the country. The Turkish military reportedly opened fire on the crowds that took to the streets of Ankara protesting the coup after President Erdogan's appeal. Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called on people to remain in the streets to support the government against coup plotters and appealed for patience. Photo: AFP
President Erdogan blamed Fethullah Gulen, a high-profile political figure and religious scholar based in US responsible for the coup. According to Turkish intelligence sources, there were signs that Gulen is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the elected civilian government. Photo: AFP
Yildirim said he had ordered the "annihilation" of military planes used by coup plotters. The number of soldiers who were arrested has incread to 130. Photo: AFP
The chaos capped a period of political turmoil in Turkey which critics blamed on Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule, which has included a government shake-up, a crackdown on dissidents and opposition media and renewed conflict in the mainly Kurdish areas of the southeast. Photo: AFP
Soldiers backed by tanks blocked entry to Istanbul's airport for a couple of hours, before being overtaken by pro-government crowds carrying Turkish flags. Photo: AFP
Erdogan on Saturday said that his government was working to crush a coup attempt after a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire across the capital that left around 260 dead and at least 150 people wounded. Photo: AFP
The Turkish government apparently blocked social media sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube briefly in response to the military coup. AFP
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