Turkish soldiers are seen on the Asian side of Istanbul.
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“People can’t quite believe what is happening”. The airports are shut.
Prime Minster Binali Yildirim confirmed the attempted coup, but did not provide details on the opposition elements within the military or the government’s ongoing response, during an interview with NTV television.
Gunshots were heard in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Friday, a Reuters witness said, as military jets and helicopters were seen flying overhead. Two other tanks and a military vehicle were stationed in front of the VIP terminal. The newspaper Hurriyet reported the airport is closed.
Correspondents said that Istanbul had been turned into a ghost town after the events, with people who had been outside for a Friday night rushing to the safety of their homes.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said he hopes there will be “peace, stability and continuity in Turkey”. Turkey would never allow any “initiative that would interrupt democracy”, he vowed.
Turkey’s military has forced changes of government four times since 1960, and another military coup has always been considered a possibility under the current government led by Erdogan, who has been in power since 2003. The military says it has taken over the country, with the head of the Turkish Armed Forces being taken hostage. “We will not allow them to succeed and won’t give up on democracy”.
THE Turkish military has claimed control over the country with a military helicopter reportedly opening fire over Ankara.
“They both have to go – they’re both trouble for Syrians”, he said, using the Arabic acronym for the so-called Islamic State group. The summit was supposed to be held on August 1: Some observers speculated that this coup attempt could have been conducted by factions within the military who feared that they would be sidelined then, and moved to preempt that development.
Dogan News reported that military vehicles blocked two major bridges over the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Earlier in the day, military vehicles, soldiers, and security forces were deployed on the streets of Istanbul and the capital of Ankara. All flights are cancelled.
“This is an attack against Turkish democracy”, the aide said.
“The Department of Foreign Affairs and our embassy in Ankara are monitoring the evolving situation in Ankara and Istanbul where a heightened security presence and some incidents of violence are reported”, it stated.
In recent weeks, Iraqi armed forces have been making steady advances against militants, pushing the battle to the ultimate goal to recapture Mosul. The Gendarmerie and the Coast Guard operate as parts of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in peacetime.
Speaking after meeting the prime minister, Hisarcıklıoğlu said TOBB’s main focus regarding economic diplomacy would be Russian Federation and Israel.
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Independent observers noted that the 1949 treaty that created the USA alliance has no mechanism for suspending members, unlike the United Nations, the European Union or the Organization of American States. Most of his political support is concentrated in rural, conservative, Muslim areas of the country.
