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Next version
| Version 11 | Version 12 |
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| Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan calls military uprising 'treason' – live updates | Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan calls military uprising 'treason' – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 4.34am BST | |
| 04:34 | |
| Erdoğan speaks in Istanbul | |
| Broadcasts from Turkey show President Erdoğan addressing a sizeable crowd in Istanbul now. | |
| He tells supporters that the government will succeed. | |
| From the highest level of the army to lowest-ranking officers, he says, the armed forces must know they cannot govern the state. | |
| The government is elected and is in control, he says. The people elected a president and that president is here. | |
| He says the coup plotters brought out tanks, but “my people” took them back. | |
| 4.29am BST | |
| 04:29 | |
| Istanbul’s Ataturk airport – where more than 40 people were killed in suicide attacks just a fortnight ago – is now reportedly back in the hands of officers loyal to the government having earlier on Friday night been targeted by coup backers. | |
| Flights were suspended or diverted, but some are now arriving. A number of flights are being diverted to Istanbul’s second airport, Sabiha, as the situation at Ataturk remains unclear. | |
| Flights now inbound to Istanbul—IST. Most diverting to nearby SAW, some diverting elsewhere. https://t.co/fP90CKhojJ pic.twitter.com/LkZXO5shGK | |
| Turkish Airlines said it encouraged citizens to “stand up against this attack on our parliament and our public representatives”: | |
| Turkish Airlines condemns the attempted military coup. | |
| 4.20am BST | |
| 04:20 | |
| Broadcaster CNN-Turk is back on air, having been closed down on Friday night when soldiers entered the building and ordered journalists to leave. | |
| State broadcaster TRT was also taken off air by those involved in the coup; Carlos Van Meek, its news director, told CNN in the US that its English-language channel remained off the air. Some of its Turkish channels might be restoring signals, Van Meek said: | |
| By taking us off the air, they felt they had the opportunity to control the message. | |
| 4.15am BST | |
| 04:15 | |
| However, Reuters reports that bomb attacks on the parliament are continuing, with a senior Turkish official saying rebel soldiers have been warned they will be shot down if they attempt to use more military aircraft. | |
| 4.12am BST | |
| 04:12 | |
| The Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim has called an emergency meeting in parliament on Saturday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reports. | |
| The parliament complex was bombed overnight, but parliament speaker Ismail Kahraman said no legislators were hurt. There were reports that some police officers were injured or killed but this has not been confirmed. | |
| 4.06am BST | |
| 04:06 | |
| Erdoğan blames coup on Gülenists | |
| Peter Beaumont | |
| The accusations by Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan that US-based cleric Fethullah Gülen is behind last night’s attempted coup is part of a familiar rhetoric and a long-running rivalry. So Is there any truth in it? | |
| The traditional rivalry in Turkish society has been between secularists who look to the modern state’s founder Kemal Ataturk – notably the army and other state institutions – and Islamists. | |
| So who are the Gülenists? Gülen, a cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania, leads a popular movement – Hizmet or “the service” – ostensibly campaigning for democratic accountability. | |
| The centre of recent tension between the Gülenists and Erdoğan and his AKP is the president’s decision to blame Gülenists in the police and judiciary for initiating anti-corruption allegations in 2013 that targeted his supporters, including Erdoğan’s son Bilal. | |
| Erdoğan responded by launching a purge of perceived Gülenists. | |
| As the coup attempt unfolded on Friday night, a lawyer for the Turkish government, Robert Amsterdam, said “there are indications of direct involvement” of Gülenists. According to Turkish intelligence sources, Amsterdam said: “There are signs that Gülen is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the elected civilian government.” | |
| Gülen’s group, the Alliance for Shared Values, was quick to deny it, issuing a statement saying comments alleging the group’s involvement in the coup were “highly irresponsible” and that the group did not support the military intervention: | |
| Events on the ground are moving quickly and it would be irresponsible for us to speculate on them. We remain concerned about the safety and security of Turkish citizens and those in Turkey right now. | |
| For more than 40 years, Fethullah Gülen and Hizmet participants have advocated for, and demonstrated their commitment to, peace and democracy. | |
| We have consistently denounced military interventions in domestic politics. These are core values of Hizmet participants. We condemn any military intervention in domestic politics of Turkey. | |
| 3.57am BST | 3.57am BST |
| 03:57 | 03:57 |
| Turkey closes border to Bulgaria | Turkey closes border to Bulgaria |
| Bulgaria is boosting patrols along the border with Turkey, as Turkey has closed border crossings, Reuters reports: | Bulgaria is boosting patrols along the border with Turkey, as Turkey has closed border crossings, Reuters reports: |
| The foreign ministry appealed to Bulgarians to cancel their travel plans to Turkey. | The foreign ministry appealed to Bulgarians to cancel their travel plans to Turkey. |
| “We are following what is happening at our neighbours with concern,” prime minister Boiko Borisov told reporters at an emergency meeting with the defence and foreign ministers, as well as intelligence and security officials. | “We are following what is happening at our neighbours with concern,” prime minister Boiko Borisov told reporters at an emergency meeting with the defence and foreign ministers, as well as intelligence and security officials. |
| “Let’s hope it will regularise in a lawful and democratic manner … There are ways to topple a government and that in the democratic world happens through elections,” he said. | “Let’s hope it will regularise in a lawful and democratic manner … There are ways to topple a government and that in the democratic world happens through elections,” he said. |
| Bulgarian foreign minister Daniel Mitov spoke on the telephone with his Turkish counterpart and contacts were made by the special services, Borisov added. | Bulgarian foreign minister Daniel Mitov spoke on the telephone with his Turkish counterpart and contacts were made by the special services, Borisov added. |
| The border crossings with Turkey on the Bulgarian side are open. A witness told private national BTV channel that entrance at Kapikule border crossing into Turkey is allowed, but exit towards Bulgaria is not and several cars with Bulgarians were blocked on Turkish territory. | The border crossings with Turkey on the Bulgarian side are open. A witness told private national BTV channel that entrance at Kapikule border crossing into Turkey is allowed, but exit towards Bulgaria is not and several cars with Bulgarians were blocked on Turkish territory. |
| Bulgaria has built a fence at its border with Turkey as part of its attempts to limit illegal crossings of migrants from conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. | Bulgaria has built a fence at its border with Turkey as part of its attempts to limit illegal crossings of migrants from conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| “The border crossings from the Turkish side are closed. We have beefed up the border with border police officers and army units,” Borisov said. | “The border crossings from the Turkish side are closed. We have beefed up the border with border police officers and army units,” Borisov said. |
| 3.50am BST | 3.50am BST |
| 03:50 | 03:50 |
| International reaction | International reaction |
| US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says: | US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says: |
| I am following the fast-moving developments in Turkey tonight with great concern. We should all urge calm and respect for laws, institutions, and basic human rights and freedoms – and support for the democratically elected civilian government. | I am following the fast-moving developments in Turkey tonight with great concern. We should all urge calm and respect for laws, institutions, and basic human rights and freedoms – and support for the democratically elected civilian government. |
| All parties should work to avoid further violence and bloodshed, and the safety of American citizens and diplomatic missions must be ensured. | All parties should work to avoid further violence and bloodshed, and the safety of American citizens and diplomatic missions must be ensured. |
| Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau says: | Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau says: |
| We call for restraint by all parties. Canada supports the preservation of Turkish democracy, and condemns any attempt to subvert Turkey’s democratic institutions by force of arms. | We call for restraint by all parties. Canada supports the preservation of Turkish democracy, and condemns any attempt to subvert Turkey’s democratic institutions by force of arms. |
| 3.44am BST | 3.44am BST |
| 03:44 | 03:44 |
| At least 42 killed in Ankara | At least 42 killed in Ankara |
| We have more information on those killed in Ankara overnight. | We have more information on those killed in Ankara overnight. |
| The prosecutor’s office says most of the 42 people who died were civilians. | The prosecutor’s office says most of the 42 people who died were civilians. |
| Seventeen of the dead were police officers. | Seventeen of the dead were police officers. |
| In addition, a senior Turkish official says 13 soldiers who tried to storm the presidential palace have been arrested. | In addition, a senior Turkish official says 13 soldiers who tried to storm the presidential palace have been arrested. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.46am BST | at 3.46am BST |
| 3.38am BST | 3.38am BST |
| 03:38 | 03:38 |
| Ömer Çelik, Turkey’s minister for EU affairs, has tweeted these images of the parliament building as dawn breaks in the country: | Ömer Çelik, Turkey’s minister for EU affairs, has tweeted these images of the parliament building as dawn breaks in the country: |
| Bugün YÜCE MECLİS'e saldıranlar hainlere ders verme günüdür.. pic.twitter.com/OOqS3qvRC3 | Bugün YÜCE MECLİS'e saldıranlar hainlere ders verme günüdür.. pic.twitter.com/OOqS3qvRC3 |
| It was earlier reported that a number of police officers were killed in an explosion at a building in the parliament complex. | It was earlier reported that a number of police officers were killed in an explosion at a building in the parliament complex. |
| 3.35am BST | 3.35am BST |
| 03:35 | 03:35 |
| Turkey’s NTV television has cited the prosecutor’s office in Ankara saying that at least 42 people have been killed in the capital overnight. | Turkey’s NTV television has cited the prosecutor’s office in Ankara saying that at least 42 people have been killed in the capital overnight. |
| This has not been confirmed and it’s not known at this stage whether those killed include military personnel involved in the coup, protesters who were urged to come on to the streets, or police officers who were reportedly hit in the explosion at the parliament building. | This has not been confirmed and it’s not known at this stage whether those killed include military personnel involved in the coup, protesters who were urged to come on to the streets, or police officers who were reportedly hit in the explosion at the parliament building. |
| 3.29am BST | 3.29am BST |
| 03:29 | 03:29 |
| It’s still very unclear what is happening in Ankara, where rebel soldiers are still said to be firing, and an explosion earlier hit the parliament building. | It’s still very unclear what is happening in Ankara, where rebel soldiers are still said to be firing, and an explosion earlier hit the parliament building. |
| Images from the capital show many people – as well as tanks – on the streets in scenes of protest and chaos. There are also images of people who appear to be dead or injured; we will not publish those. | Images from the capital show many people – as well as tanks – on the streets in scenes of protest and chaos. There are also images of people who appear to be dead or injured; we will not publish those. |
| 3.18am BST | 3.18am BST |
| 03:18 | 03:18 |
| Although it is evident from reports and images from Turkey that the situation is still extemely tense and unpredictable, prime minister Yildirim has told the state-run Anadolu news agency: | Although it is evident from reports and images from Turkey that the situation is still extemely tense and unpredictable, prime minister Yildirim has told the state-run Anadolu news agency: |
| Things are getting better every minute. | Things are getting better every minute. |
| Yildirim said people should remain in the streets to support the government. | Yildirim said people should remain in the streets to support the government. |
| But he warned that some air force planes flown by those engaged in the coup remain in the air. Those aircraft will be shot down, Yildirim said. | But he warned that some air force planes flown by those engaged in the coup remain in the air. Those aircraft will be shot down, Yildirim said. |