Turkey Army

Turkey In Meltdown: Military Overtakes The Country In Coup Attempt As Gunfire And Explosions Echo Through Istanbul

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Turkish armed forces say that they have taken control of the county, as a military coup attempt unfolds in Turkey this morning.

Final update:

Soldiers involved in the military coup have surrendered in dramatic scenes. officials claim 60 people have been killed and 754 detained in a night of violence in Turkey’s major cities. The Turkish embassy in Canberra has just issued a statement:

“The situation unfolded [sic] in Turkey was a coup attempt to overthrow the democratically-elected government. This attempt was foiled by the Turkish people in unity and solidarity. Our President and Government are in charge. Turkish Armed Forces was not involved in the coup attempt in its entirety. It was conducted by a clique within the Armed Forces and received a well-deserved response from our nation.”

 

Original article: Gunshots and explosions have echoed through Istanbul and Ankara with reports that several buildings including a police headquarters have been attacked. People are flooding the streets in support of both the military and the government and the situation is very unclear.

There are many Australian tourists in Turkey, and the Australian government is urging people to stay in doors and rethink their travel plans. Australian man Lachlan Guselli told Fairfax that there were hour-long queues for food and cash.

The Aus Government’s Smart Traveller website has the following advice:

  • Stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel
  • Avoid any large gatherings or demonstrations
  • Follow the directions of local authorities
  • Confirm your flight’s status before travelling to the airport so long as it is safe to do so
  • Contact your friends and family to let them know you are safe
  • Subsribe to our travel advice for Turkey so that you are notified of any changes to the security environment.

It’s being reported that army tanks and a strong presence is being placed around Turkey’s airports. Many airlines are diverting or returning flights to their origin amid concerns. Some media outlets have confirmed that the military have blocked social media access including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, making clear information from Australian witnesses difficult.

The exact situation is unclear, however Senior Turkish officials say there’s no broad support within the military for the attempted coup. It’s believed some senior members of the army have been arrested and other outlets are reporting that the coup is over and soldiers have locked themselves in their tanks to avoid being ‘lynched’.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is hiding in a secure location and is believed to be seeking asylum in Germany or the UK. Meanwhile there have been large explosions and gunfire reported around the presidential complex in Ankara with witnesses saying that military helicopters were fired upon.

Erdogan has urged citizens to take to the streets to show support for the government, resulting in public places becoming packed with people, despite the military placing a curfew. Images show people attempting to protest agains the army, jumping on army tanks. Other video shows people booing army officials causing large amounts of tension. Some videos show citizens overpowering army officials and escorting them out of buildings. With large mobs chanting support for both sides, the details of all this are very sketchy.

The Guardian reports that Turkey has the second largest Army in NATO, after the U.S and has allowed U.S. aircraft to use the Incirlik air base in the fight against the Islamic State. They claim the hypothetical loss of that ability could be a blow to the coalition’s efforts in Syria.

If you are worried about family or friends in Turkey, try to contact them directly via phone, email and social media.

If you are unable to contact them and still hold concerns for their welfare you should call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 or +61 2 6261 3305 if calling from overseas.

This is a breaking news story. We will have updates below.

UPDATES:

9:52AM AEST: Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency is claiming that the coup attempt has been crushed. Australia’s Nine News has confirmed the press release, stating that the claim is unclear considering the large military presence throughout the country.

 

9:15AM AEST: This unverified video claims to show a helicopter involved in the coup opening fire on protestors:

People have stormed local airport runways waving Turkish flags:

This video. live streamed on Periscope shows army officials being removed from their tanks by local people

Live coverage via ABC:

Moments:

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