Anadolu reported that 754 members of Turkey’s armed forces have been detained across the country. The military has declared martial law.
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Jets bombed near Turkey’s presidential palace in Ankara early on Saturday as an army faction attempted to bring down the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It is unclear where the president now is.
One tweet showed a military jet flying extremely low over the capital Ankara.
People watch a damaged vehicle which was crashed by a tank in Kizilay Square as they gather to protest against a military coup in Ankara, Turkey.
The armed forces had taken power in the country to protect the democratic order and to maintain human rights, the military said in a statement sent by email and reported on Turkish TV channels.
Once in Istanbul, greeted by crowds of civilians, Mr Erdogan called the coup makers “a minority within the military”. A CNNTürk reporter said a helicopter shoot on the General Staff headquarters in Ankara.
A chaotic night began late Friday with reports of soldiers trying to wrestle control of bridges and key functions in major cities, and turned into a nightmare when army helicopters began airstrikes and shelled key locations in the capital, Ankara.
Umit Dundar was appointed after the head of the military could not be accounted for in the chaos of an attempted coup by rebels in the armed forces. “What are you going to do with my secretary general?” he asked. Officials say the coup is over though this has not been confirmed. In an attempt to consolidate his power, he had called for a new constitution that would increase the powers of the president.
Gunfire was also heard outside Istanbul police headquarters and tanks were said to be stationed outside Istanbul airport.
Turkish state media have disputed the idea that the coup was successful.
Access was restricted in Turkey on Friday to Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc and Alphabet Inc’s YouTube shortly after news that a military coup was under way, according to two internet monitoring groups.
In his address, the President blamed Fethullah Gulen, a high-profile political figure and religious scholar based in U.S. responsible for the coup, CNN reported. The cleric lives in exile in Pennsylvania and promotes a philosophy that blends a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.
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Broadcaster CNN Turk was reportedly taken over by soldiers, and its live broadcast was cut. An anchor could be seen holding the iPhone toward the camera.
