Turkey’s president declared he was in control of the country early Saturday as loyal military and police forces fought to squash a coup attempt during a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left dozens dead.
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The uprising was an “act of treason”, and those responsible would pay a heavy price, he later told reporters at a hastily arranged news conference.
After serving as prime minister from 2003, Erdogan was elected president in 2014 with plans to alter the constitution to give the previously ceremonial presidency far greater executive powers.
Some pro-coup soldiers attempted to take over state TV channel TRT, block CNN TURK broadcast and cut off TV networks at the ground station of satellite communications agency Turksat in Ankara’s Golbasi district.
The coup began with warplanes and helicopters roaring over Ankara and troops moving in to seal off the bridges over the Bosphorus Strait that links Europe and Asia in Istanbul.
People chant near Turkish army troops in Ankara.
Leaders of Malaysia’s opposition pact expressed “shock” at the attempted coup late Friday. Tensions, however, are still running high, media report.
According to a senior Turkish official, at least 60 people have died in the clashes.
Bombs struck near the Turkish Grand Assembly. Airborne shelling at several locations included the ruling AK Party headquarters, the presidential complex and the General Staff, Anadolu News Agency said. He was “rescued from captivity” within hours, a government official said.
“Now I’m addressing those in Pennsylvania”.
“It is enough the betrayal you have done to this nation”, Erdogan said, without mentioning Gulen’s name, and called on him to return to his country, where he would face trial.
Turkey is one of the main backers of opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in that country’s civil war, host to 2.7mn Syrian refugees and launchpad past year for the biggest influx of migrants to Europe since World War Two.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the attempt to undermine democracy by a failed coup in the brotherly country of Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile used Twitter to call on people to remain in the streets, warning against a new flare-up.
He also slammed United States-based preacher Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of leading a terrorist organization and attempting to infiltrate and overthrow the democratically-elected government in Turkey. Malaysia Airports, the operator of Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, Istanbul’s second airport, said it would continue to process flights in and out of Turkey.
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Broadcaster CNN-Turk was back on air, having been closed down on Friday night when soldiers entered the building and ordered journalists to leave.
