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UPDATES: Turkey’s Military Coup – Erdogan Takes Cover, Then Returns

July 15, 2016 By 7 Comments

1-Turkey-Coup
21st Century Wire says….

Reports are now confirmed of an attempted military-led coup d’état being staged tonight in Turkey – with the military now claiming control of the country now.

Conflicting reports are circulating as to who is presently in control of the government and the country.

Turkish Prime Minster Binali Yildirim warning that military who are attempting coup “will pay the highest price.”

So far tonight, the following reports can be confirmed:

  • Military jets could be seen flying low over capital
  • Military have taken over a number of key major civil facilities and functions
  • Internet in capital city of Ankara has been cut
  • Key road, bridges closed in Istanbul area, including the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridges
  • Artillery fire could be heard in Ankara
  • Gunfire witnessed between police and military
  • State news channel reports: Erdogan’s chief of staff has been taken ‘hostage’ by army faction
  • Mayor of Ankara tells residents to defy curfew and “hit the street” in defiance unrest

According to reports from UK Mirror:

“Turkey based journalist Diego Cupolo has tweeted: “Sound of heavy artillery being fired in Ankara. People screaming. 2 military buses at national TV station.”

Unusual timing: Hours before coup President Erdogan ‘gave immunity’ to military officers. Why?

Here are some new images from the streets of Ankara and Istanbul:

UPDATE – 22:00 UK Time:

The Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has announced he will appear on television to make a statement within the hour.

UPDATE – 23:00 UK Time:


Turkish president Erdogan took to the TV airwaves – via his smart phone by using Facebook and social media – to reject coup attempt, before urges supporters to “take to the streets” en mass.

Washington Post: “Speaking to Turkish broadcaster CNNTurk via FaceTime, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the chain of command had been violated and encouraged Turkish citizens to challenge the coup attempt by gathering on streets and at airports.”

Reports of chief of staff dead:

Nation Review reports:

5:18 P.M.: It seems that the military has taken over state-run TV channel TRT, and is issuing statements through the network. From the Telegraph: Reports that soldiers are at the HQ of state TV channel, TRT, in Ankara. That would explain this: State TV channel says the country is now under the control of a “peace council” that will ensure the safety of the population.

“It states that democratic and secular rule of law has been eroded by the Erdogan government.”

5:15 P.M.: This video allegedly depicts a military helicopter firing down at an unknown target in Ankara:

(UNCONFIRMED) The Daily Beast via NBC News reports:

Erdogan seeking asylum in Europe, requesting entry to Germany – denied entry to Germany, now heading to London

“Turkish president Tayyip Erdoğan is reportedly seeking asylum in Europe, as a military coup continues in Turkey, U.S. military sources tell NBC News. Erdoğan’s presidential jet was allegedly denied landing rights at Istanbul’s airport, before heading out of the country. He was then denied asylum in Germany, according to NBC, before heading to London. Addressing Turkey via Facetime, Erdoğan asserted declared, “I am president,” and vowed to crush the opposition forces. He also said “This country can’t be managed from Pennsylvania,” directly linking the coup attempt to U.S.-based exiled imam Fethullah Gülen.”

21WIRE says: Reports coming in now from people on the ground in Ankara of Imams calling for people to take up guns and head for the streets to protest the military coup.  There are big demonstrations building. Also reports of a tank having been seized by AKP supporters in Istanbul.

Footage shows civilians clambering over a moving tank which inches forward and then drives over a car:

https://twitter.com/yunuspaksoy/status/754078897189298176

UPDATE – Midnight UK time:

Extraordinary scenes of a military helicopter strafing Turkish state broadcasting HQ in Ankara.

UPDATE: July 16th 1:00am – UK Time

RT reports:

“A Turkish F-16 fighter jet has reportedly shot down a military helicopter used by the pro-coup faction of the Turkish army, local broadcaster NTV reported, as reports suggested the capital of Ankara descended into chaotic clashes involving civilians and military.”

More shocking video:

Government now denying that military coup was successful, calls for arrest and treason charges for military coup leaders:

Meanwhile, inside the Washington DC bubble, Kerry and Obama wait to see which way the wind has blown:

CNN Turk:  Sultan Erdogan now due to land at Ataturk Airport before a triumphant return to his Ottoman Palace. Will it be triumphant? Latest here:

REDDIT: “Tanks are still on the way to Ataturk Airport…” /u/6559

REDDIT: “Erdogan has landed on Istanbul Ataturk Airport…” /u/Slejb

UPDATE: July 16th 2:00am UK Time:

Bombings being thrown at Turkish Parliament – lawmakers take shelter inside:

CNN Türk: Newsroom remains live, has a live feed camera and a lot of shouting in the background. Sounds of gunfire and whistling:

Screen Shot 2016-07-16 at 01.55.10

Many will now ask the question: Who is Gulen?

via REDDIT:

Statement: Robert Amsterdam, a lawyer for the Turkish government: “There are indications of direct involvement of Gülenists. According to Turkish intelligence sources, there are signs that Gülen is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the elected civilian government.”

Gulenists: “The Alliance for Shared Values (the name of the Gülenists’ group) released a statement denying this:

“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.”
/u/blueredscreen

BREAKING: Erdogan seizes back power – condemns “treason” of military:

UPDATE – July 16th 7:00am UK Time:

via REDDIT:

Translation: (Note: may have errors or be inaccurate)

Turkish Army Forces: Soldiers are continuing to “Coup”. We will take down people or any forces who tries to resist to us. Please stay in your home for your Health and safety. Regards to the public – Turkish Army Forces. /u/blueredscreen

Rebel soldiers still control some military helicopters, but no fighter jets, a senior Turkish official has been quoted as saying. /u/blueredscreen

Turkish Red Cross: More than 1,000 people injured in Turkey coup attempt. About 800 people being treated at Ankara hospitals, another 200 at hospitals in Istanbul. /u/blueredscreen

Gendarmerie: 16 pro-coup soldiers captured dead, 250 detained at the Gendarmerie Command in Ankara’s Beştepe district. /u/blueredscreen

Reuters: More details as soldiers involved in the coup begin to surrender in Istanbul:

“Around 50 soldiers involved in an attempted military coup in Turkey surrendered on one of the bridges across the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Saturday, abandoning their tanks with their hands raised in the air, live footage on CNN Turk showed. A Reuters witness earlier saw tens of other pro-coup soldiers surrendering to armed police after being surrounded in Istanbul’s central Taksim square.” /u/blueredscreen
.
Turkey-Coup-Surrender

PM: 130 pro-coup military [ranking] officers are in custody, a general is dead.

Prosecutor’s Office: 1374 members of the armed forces taken into custody over coup attempt, Turkey’s justice ministry says. /u/setoz53

Unconfirmed: Captured Coup-Soldiers claim that their commander told to them it was “Training” not a “Coup” they also claim that they had no idea what was going on untill People tried to attack them. /u/setoz53

Arrested: Aegan Army Commander Chief Major-General Memduh Hakbilen is arrested /u/scythianturk

Reinstated: Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar saved from captivity from the Akıncılar airbase /u/scythianturk

Imams: Pro-government rallies at 10:30am local time are announced from mosques. /u/empireofyozgat

Death Toll: Turkish media is now repotting the death toll of 90, which was earlier 60. /u/legurnster

Remaining clashes: Some clashes continue between hold-out military coup members and pro-Erdogan police force.

CNN: Authoritarian former US Supreme Commander Welsey Clark weighs-in on what the military should have done to be successful:

After the dust settles – the real question arises…

UPDATE – July 16th 10.00am UK Time:

10:06 The total of 90 people was killed during the military coup attempt in Turkey, Anadolu reported. The number of the injured is 1,154

9:14 Turkey’s Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar, who had been seized by the insurgents attempting a coup in Turkey, is rescued now, the Haberturk television channel reported

7:48 The Turkish Air Force have shot down the rebel-controlled helicopter, which was firing on the Turksat satellite communications control center in a suburb of Ankara, the Anadolu agency reported. ~ all updates from TASS.RU

21st Century Wire says…

Is this a chilling insight from CNN commentator Jenny White in her article entitled “The Tragedy of Turkey’s Attempted Coup“?

“The military action, the results of which are still unclear, took Turkey out of Europe and placed it squarely in the Middle East. It tore away the country’s stability, replacing polarization with what could end up being outright civil war, whether the coup succeeds or not.”

Could this be an insight into the objectives of this military coup? Is Turkey being punished for its recent rapprochment with Russia and Syria? White further reinforces the message that Turkey’s usefulness has expired:

“As a result, the reality is that Turkey’s usefulness as a “safe” haven for Syrian refugees is now in doubt, destabilizing the already morally suspect EU pact that provides money to Turkey in return for keeping hundreds of thousands of refugees.”

There is a sense of a recalcitrant child being slapped and told to stand on the cold, barren, ex-ally step? White then issues what could be interpreted as a warning for both Turkey and Europe along with a blase and blatant admission of Turkey’s role in acting as the terrorist rat run into Syria. Are we going to see the incubation of ISIS inside Turkey and turned against Erdogan?

Will we see greater numbers of terrorists pouring into Europe, the creation of trans-european “States of Emergency“, the greater militarization of police forces, a further increase in surveillance and intellectual terrorism from our own governments?

Is Europe in danger of becoming the new Syria?

“Meanwhile, Turkey’s descent into what is likely to be a government witch hunt for “putschists” and massive violent reprisals means more anger, more polarization and a destabilized population that is more likely to seek protection from outside.

Groups like ISIS will likely capitalize on this disenchantment to seek more recruits inside Turkey. From there, they will be able to pass to Europe, just as jihadis in past years had moved through Turkey on their way to Syria as the Turkish government turned a blind eye.”

UPDATE – July 16th 11.00am UK Time:

UK Government Travel to Turkey advice:

“Summary – There has been large scale military action in Turkey, with the military deployed to the streets and widespread reports of gunfire and explosions in Ankara and Istanbul. The situation now appears quieter in Istanbul, and the bridges across the Bosphorus are re-opening. But there are reports of tank fire and small arms fire in Ankara. Some flights to airports in Turkey are being diverted or cancelled. The road between Marmaris and Icmeler remains closed, following earlier reports of gunfire between the resorts of Marmaris and Icmeler.We strongly advise you to stay indoors, avoid public places, in particular demonstrations, and remain vigilant.”

IRAN:

“In Tehran, the Supreme National Security Council convened in an urgent meeting [last night] and ordered the armed forces to seal off the border with Turkey.

Iranian Air Force fighter jets are patrolling the country’s Northwestern skies near the border with Turkey.

Iran’s aviation organization also halted all flights to various destinations in Turkey for an unspecified period.

Iran’s top security official Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani said “we believe instability in Turkey is disturbing people’s insecurity; we are precisely monitoring and protecting our borders”. ~ FarsNews

21st Century Wire says…

Is this a precursor of the harsh retribution that will be meted out against coup supporters and military dissidents? Ikhwan [Muslim Brotherhood] and AKP supporters humiliate and beat unarmed military captives on the Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul.

Many analysts are raising the question, did Erdogan organise the coup himself to brutally crush the dissidents and discredit them at home and abroad?

UPDATE – July 16th 12.00pm UK Time:

Turkish media outlet, Hurriyet, are also coming under attack after being a thorn in Erdogan’s side for some time.  Photo-journalist Selcuk Samiloglu has allegedly been set-upon and beaten up by Erdogan AKP supporters:

SEE MORE: UPDATES: Post-Coup in Turkey – Erdogan’s Revenge

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Stay tuned to 21WIRE for more updates on this breaking story

READ MORE TURKEY NEWS AT: 21st Century Wire Turkey Files

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