Discarded gear was strewn on the ground.
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People stand on a Turkish army tank at Ataturk airport in Istanbul, Turkey July 16, 2016.
Millions took to the streets throughout the country and helped police disarm the coup plotters. It was not clear exactly who within the military was behind the coup attempt, or how widespread support was in the military.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan flew back from a vacation resort to Istanbul Atatürk International Airport, where thousands defied the rebel troops and swarmed their tanks to greet him.
The prime minister, however, said there was an “attempt” at a coup.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who has spoken on media via telephone throughout the night, is believed to be in Ankara.
“The first thing to say is obviously we want to urge calm, the avoidance of any further bloodshed, and it’s crucial that we support the democratic institutions of Turkey and that’s a message that was very much echoed of course by the Turkish foreign minister, my counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, to whom I spoke a couple of hours ago, and he was very grateful for United Kingdom support at the UN and elsewhere”.
The army chief of staff, General Hulusi Akar, was captured by pro-coup plotters and held for several hours before being rescued.
At least 60 people were killed in violence that erupted on Friday after a faction of the armed forces attempted to seize power, officials said. CNN Turkey showed two military vehicles and a group of soldiers lined up at the entrance of one of the bridges in Turkey’s biggest city.
Those behind the attempted coup would pay the highest price, he added.
“We pray for the safety of the Turkish people who are now amassing on the streets as a show of support for democracy”, it underlined.
Five generals and 29 colonels were dismissed, NTV reported.
Erdogan had earlier urged supporters to take to the streets to oppose the plotters via his smart phone during an interview with a Turkish broadcaster.
Dogan News Agency reported that police in Ankara called personnel to their officers. A nearby mosque made an anti-coup announcement over its loudspeakers. There were sounds of huge blasts, including one blast at the parliament complex in Ankara. NTV reported six dead had been brought to that hospital.
“We value the strong and historical relationship with Turkey and its government”, said the premier.
Mr Erdogan has repeatedly accused Mr Gulen of trying to overthrow his government and attempting to set up a “state within a state” with Hizmet.
He promotes a philosophy which incorporates a mystical form of Islam with advocacy of democracy, education and science.
Hundreds in public square: A CNN producer said there were 200 to 300 residents in Taksim Square in Istanbul, some of them were waving Turkish flags. Columnists critical of the government have been fired in response to government pressure, and reporters have been imprisoned on terrorism charges. The official requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
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In a night that sometimes verged on the freakish, Erdogan frequently took to social media even though he is an avowed enemy of the technology when his opponents use it, frequently targeting Twitter and Facebook.
