Several explosions were reported near the Parliament building and pro-coup soldiers briefly held control of two bridges over the Bosporus in Istanbul.
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Washington would have been forced under United States law to remove its military forces from Turkey, including its fleet of fighter jets at the Incirlik airbase that serves as a critical launchpad for NATO’s missions in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. This government brought to power by the people is in charge.
Erdogan was on a seaside vacation when tanks rolled into the streets of Ankara and Istanbul.
Those divisions burst into the open in the wake of the failed coup and Erdogan arrival here to the cheers of supporters. “They are the enemies of the people”.
Erdogan flew into Ataturk airport early Saturday and was greeted by large crowds.
The arrested military include two generals, but no names are given.
By Saturday afternoon, CNN Turk reported that security forces had completed an operation against coup plotters at the headquarters of the military general staff. Security sources also said police detained about 100 military officers at an air base in the southeast.
“This was a test for Turkish democracy, and Turkish democracy survived it, and it demonstrated that it’s very strong, that no one can play with it, no one can defeat it”, Senturk said.
President Barack Obama urged parties on all sides of the crisis to avoid destabilizing Turkey and follow the rule of law after the coup attempt against President Tayyip Erdogan.
“I am sure that people will wonder about allegations about who instigated this and where support came from”, he said. He gained notice in Turkey some 50 years ago, promoting a philosophy that blended a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue. It was later shot down by members of the Turkish Air Force loyal to the government.
Demonstrator Murat Yildiz, 37, a restaurant worker, added, “If Turkey can fight all it’s coups like this… then we can win all our wars”.
“As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations”.
Yildirim, who was to appear before the crowd but failed, said the country was again fully under government control.
People wave flags as they wait for Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to appear for a speech in Istanbul, Turkey, July 16, 2016. Erdogan’s government said Gulen directed the coup all the same.
As the confusion gave way to certainty that the coup was defeated, hundreds poured into the square, where some demonstrators dragged soldiers out of their tanks and kicked them and beat them with sticks. Discarded gear was strewn on the ground. Some flag-waving people climbed onto the tanks. “If the military wanted to take power in the country, the military is so powerful it can do so easily”.
Cavusoglu said the military now needed to be “cleansed” of Gulenist influence. On Saturday, Greece announced that a Turkish military helicopter issued a distress signal and made an emergency landing at Alexandroupoli’s airport.
Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, condemned the attempted coup and said he played no role in it.
Earlier, military jets were heard flying over the capital, Ankara.
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara warned Americans to stay away from the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, which was sealed off by local authorities, who also cut power to the base. “And the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments about it appropriately”, Kerry said. Turkey’s renewed offensive against Kurdish militants – who seek more autonomy and are implacable foes of IS – has complicated the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State group.
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“Canada supports the preservation of Turkish democracy, and condemns any attempt to subvert Turkey’s democratic institutions by force of arms”.
