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Turkey's president declares he remains in charge after attempted coup Turkey's president says he remains in charge after attempted coup
(about 1 hour later)
Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appeared to have weathered the worst of an attempted coup after a night of chaos and bloodshed that saw an army faction try to oust a civilian government in Turkey for the fifth time in 60 years. Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, appears to have weathered the worst of an attempted coup after a night of chaos and bloodshed that saw an army faction try to oust a civilian government in the country for the fifth time in 60 years.
As the sun rose over Turkey on Saturday, confrontations were continuing in some parts of the country. But Erdoğan had been able to re-emerge from a retreat on the coast of the Aegean Sea and fly to Istanbul, where he was greeted by crowds of his supporters who overran the airport, having defied troops who had tried to seal it off. As dawn broke in Turkey on Saturday, confrontations were continuing in some parts of the country. But Erdoğan had been able to re-emerge from a retreat on the coast of the Aegean Sea and fly to Istanbul, where he was greeted by crowds of supporters who overran the airport, having defied troops who had tried to seal it off.
By Saturday morning more than 90 people were reported to have died. But Erdoğan’s appearance helped to calm fears that Turkey – a major player in Middle Eastern politics – was about to worsen the region’s malaise.
Related: Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan calls military uprising 'treason' – live updatesRelated: Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan calls military uprising 'treason' – live updates
More than 90 people had died, including 47 civilians, and 104 “coup plotters” had been killed, the acting chairman of the joint chiefs of staff said.
But Erdoğan’s appearance helped to calm fears that Turkey – a major player in Middle Eastern politics – was about to further destabilise the region.
“Turkey has a democratically elected government and president,” Erdoğan said after landing. “We are in charge and we will continue exercising our powers until the end. We will not abandon our country to these invaders. It will end well.”“Turkey has a democratically elected government and president,” Erdoğan said after landing. “We are in charge and we will continue exercising our powers until the end. We will not abandon our country to these invaders. It will end well.”
In a live TV address after his arrival at Istanbul Ataturk airport, where he was welcomed by crowds, Erdoğan said the uprising was an act of “treason” and that those responsible would pay a “heavy price”. In the live TV address, Erdoğan said the uprising was an act of treason and that those responsible would pay a “heavy price”.
Bolstering the president’s claim, huge crowds of Turks defied a military curfew across the country, gathering to oppose the coup by swarming around military vehicles and in some cases lying down in front of them. A series of opposition leaders, normally critical of Erdoğan’s increasingly autocratic ways, also issued supportive statements. A leading pro-Kurdish party, the People’s Democratic party (HDP), said “the only solution is democratic politics”. Bolstering the president’s claim, crowds of Turks defied a military curfew and gathered to oppose the coup, swarming around military vehicles and in some cases lying down in front of them. A series of opposition leaders, normally critical of Erdoğan’s increasingly autocratic ways, also issued supportive statements. A leading pro-Kurdish party, the People’s Democratic party (HDP), said “the only solution is democratic politics”.
As the fightback gathered steam, the prime minister, Binyali Yildirim, said at least 336 rebel officers had been captured by loyalist forces and promised to shoot down any military planes in the control of the coup’s supporters. By Saturday morning, Turkish officials said 1,560 military personnel believed to be involved in the attempted coup had been arrested. As the fightback gathered steam, the prime minister, Binali Yıldırım, said at least 336 rebel officers had been captured by loyalist forces and he promised to shoot down any military planes in the control of the coup’s supporters. Turkish officials said 1,560 military personnel believed to be involved in the attempted coup had been arrested.
Footage also emerged of police officers arresting soldiers who had taken over Istanbul’s central square on Friday night and rounding up army officials who initially seized a television channel. Ümit Dündar, the loyalist who was appointed overnight as the acting chairman of the joint chiefs of staff after the alleged kidnapping of his precedessor by coup forces, said on Saturday that the coup had failed.
In a reference to Turkey’s four coup attempts in recent decades, Dündar said the army had “irreversibly closed the chapter of military coups.”
“The people have taken to the streets and voiced their support for democracy,” he said. “Turkey displayed a historic cooperation between the government and the people. The nation will never forget this betrayal. Turkey has irreversibly closed the chapter of military coups.”
He said there were 90 casualties, 47 of them civilians, and 104 coup plotters were killed during security operations.
“The armed forces is determined to remove members of the Gülen movement from its ranks,” he said. “We will continue to serve the people. I would like to thank all political parties and the media for their support for democracy. Those who betrayed their country will not go unpunished.”
Footage emerged of police officers arresting soldiers who had taken over Istanbul’s central square on Friday night and rounding up army officials who initially seized a television channel.
Istanbul’s two airports, shut on Friday night by the coup’s supporters, reopened at 6am and a bridge spanning the city’s Asian and European sides followed suit less than an hour later. Soldiers were shown on television walking off the Bosphorus bridge en masse, their arms raised in surrender.Istanbul’s two airports, shut on Friday night by the coup’s supporters, reopened at 6am and a bridge spanning the city’s Asian and European sides followed suit less than an hour later. Soldiers were shown on television walking off the Bosphorus bridge en masse, their arms raised in surrender.
Erdoğan’s loyalists could not quite declare victory, with gunfire heard in parts of Istanbul and at least one fighter jet – believed to be controlled by rebel pilots – making menacing low-flying swoops over the city centre. Erdoğan’s loyalists could not quite declare victory, with gunfire still heard in parts of Istanbul and at least one fighter jet – believed to be controlled by rebel pilots – making low-flying passes over the city centre.
Some coup leaders remained defiant on Saturday morning. Officers calling themselves the Peace at Home Movement said in an email sent from a Turkish military address that they were determined to fight on and called on people to stay indoors for their own safety. Some coup leaders remained defiant on Saturday morning. Officers calling themselves the Peace at Home movement said in an email sent from a Turkish military address that they were determined to fight on and called on people to stay indoors for safety.
At least 60 people died in the overnight fighting, the presidency said, after the coup leaders launched a series of attacks on the parliament in Ankara and fired tank missiles at pro-government protesters in the streets outside. The coup leaders launched a series of attacks on the parliament in Ankara on Friday night and fired tank missiles at pro-government protesters in the streets outside. The military faction released a statement saying it had taken power to protect Turkey’s secular traditions against Erdogan’s Islamist-leaning government.
Gruesome footage showed corpses with limbs and torsos blown apart by tank ordnance, and the sun rose on Saturday to reveal the parliament’s charred walls and smashed windows. Tanks appeared in the streets and some news channels were closed down. Gruesome footage that was broadcast showed corpses dismembered and blown apart by tank ordnance, and the parliament was left with charred walls and smashed windows.
Despite the damage, Erdoğan’s administration seemed on a surer footing than eight hours previously when a military faction released a statement saying it had taken power to protect Turkey’s secular traditions against Erdogan’s Islamist-leaning government. For more than two hours Erdoğan was nowhere to be seen and could only make an eventual statement to broadcasters via FaceTime.
Tanks appeared in the streets and some news channels were closed down. For more than two hours Erdoğan was nowhere to be seen and could only make an eventual statement to broadcasters via FaceTime. His re-emergence in Istanbul will have calmed many world leaders. Turkey’s current government is a key player – and previously a rare beacon of relative stability – in the troubled Middle East. A Nato member, Turkey hosts US military bases and is a major backer of rebel factions in the Syrian civil war, as well as a key partner in Europe’s attempt to stop migration flows to Europe.
His reemergence in person in Istanbul will have calmed many world leaders. Turkey’s current government is a key player – and previously a rare beacon of relative stability – in the troubled Middle East. A Nato member, Turkey hosts US military bases and is a major backer of rebel factions in the Syrian civil war, as well as a key partner in Europe’s attempt to stop migration flows to Europe. The US president, Barack Obama, urged all parties in Turkey to back the “democratically elected” government, a clear denunciation of the attempted coup.
Barack Obama urged all parties in Turkey to back the “democratically elected” government, a clear denunciation of the attempted coup. In a similarly supportive statement, the EU’s three top officials – Jean-Claude Juncker, Federica Mogherini and Donald Tusk – said: “Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. The EU fully supports the democratically elected government, the institutions of the country and the rule of law. We call for a swift return to Turkey’s constitutional order.”
In a similarly supportive statement the EU’s three top officials – Jean-Claude Juncker, Federica Mogherini and Donald Tusk – said: “Turkey is a key partner for the European Union. The EU fully supports the democratically elected government, the institutions of the country and the rule of law. We call for a swift return to Turkey’s constitutional order.” The presidency later claimed the coup attempt had been mounted by a Gülenist faction within the army, referring to the dissident group headed by the exiled Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Gülen denied being involved and condemned the attempted coup “in the strongest terms”.
The presidency later claimed the coup attempt had been mounted by a Gülenist faction within the army, referring to the dissident group headed by the exiled Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
Gülen denied being involved and condemned the attempted coup “in the strongest terms”.
“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,” Gülen said in a brief statement.“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,” Gülen said in a brief statement.
Related: What's happened in Turkey? How the attempted coup unfolded
“Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force. I pray to God for Turkey, for Turkish citizens, and for all those currently in Turkey that this situation is resolved peacefully and quickly.”“Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force. I pray to God for Turkey, for Turkish citizens, and for all those currently in Turkey that this situation is resolved peacefully and quickly.”
Turkey has a long history of coups: the most recent occurring in 1997, and one of the most brutal in 1980. President Erdoğan’s Islamist-leaning government was believed to be in a stronger position than most previous civilian administrations, shoring up his position during a decade of economic success. He also inserted sympathisers and loyalists into key parts of the state apparatus and increasingly cracked down on suspected plotters. Turkey’s most recent coup occurred in 1997, while one of the most brutal was in 1980. Erdoğan’s Islamist-leaning government was believed to be in a stronger position than most previous civilian administrations, shoring up his position during a decade of economic success. He also placed sympathisers and loyalists in key parts of the state apparatus and increasingly cracked down on suspected plotters.
But recent events in Turkey and across the Middle East have destabilised the country, with Kurdish rebels fighting a new insurgency in the south-east of the country. The Syrian civil war, raging across Turkey’s southern border, has also spilt over into Turkey, with Islamic State mounting a series of terror attacks across Turkey in the past year, killing hundreds. But recent events in Turkey and across the Middle East have destabilised the country, with Kurdish rebels fighting a new insurgency in the south-east of the country. The Syrian civil war, raging across Turkey’s southern border, has spilt over into Turkey, with Islamic State mounting a series of terrorist attacks across the country in the past year, killing hundreds.
Erdoğan’s Islamist-aligned government was also perceived by liberal wings of Turkish society to be infringing on the secular traditions established by the father of the modern Turkish state, Kemal Ataturk. But it is also opposed by followers of Fethullah Gülen, the exiled leader of another Islamist-minded movement. Erdoğan’s government has been perceived by liberal wings of Turkish society to be infringing on the secular traditions established by the father of the modern Turkish state, Kemal Ataturk.