The top aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that Tehran supported the Turkish government against a coup attempt despite regional disputes between the two countries, especially over Syria.
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The death toll apparently did not include 104 putschists killed in the attempt.
The government said that followers of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. for years, were behind the attempted coup and accuses Gulen of trying to build a “parallel structure” within the judiciary, education system, media and military as a way to overthrow the state, a charge the cleric denies.
“The source expressed the kingdom’s welcome that things are returned to normal led by his Excellency President Tayyip Erdogan and his elected government and in line with the constitutional legitimacy and the will of the Turkish people”, SPA said.
A Turkish military commander also said fighter jets had shot down a helicopter used by the coup plotters over Ankara.
Fighting continued into the early morning, with the sounds of huge blasts echoing across Istanbul and Ankara, including at least one bomb that hit the parliament complex.
The attempted coup unfolding in Turkey is surprising to many observers who had thought the da… He told them: “They have pointed the people’s guns against the people”.
“There are certain groups who took the arms trusted to them by the state and pointed them toward state employees”, Yildirim said.
But Kerry adds Turkey’s government would have to present evidence of Gulen’s wrongdoing that withstands scrutiny.
Earlier, military jets were heard flying over the capital, Ankara.
“Those who form the backbone of the coup have been taken into custody and arrests are still being made”, Yildirim said.
In images broadcast on CNN-Turk, dozens of soldiers walked among tanks with their hands held up, surrendering to government forces.
As the events unfolded, Egyptian TV personality Ahmed Moussa declared “this isn’t a military coup”, but “a revolution within the Turkish armed forces”.
According to the Guardian, the Association of British Travel Agents said there are 50,000 Britons now on holiday in Turkey, and have warned that the situation remains “fluid”. Airborne shelling at several locations included the ruling AK Party headquarters, the presidential complex and the General Staff, Anadolu News Agency said.
An announcer read a statement on the orders of the pro-coup faction that accused the government of eroding the democratic and secular rule of law.
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“Their main gripe seems to have been President Erdogan’s attempt to transform his office into a powerful and centralized executive presidency”, Hakura said.
