Turkish military says seized control, people take to streets

[SgtRock]

Nato chief: "full respect" for Turkish government

Nato’s chief has issued a call for “full respect” for Turkey’s democratic institutions and constitution, according to the Associated Press. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement:

I have just spoken to the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. I am following events in Turkey closely and with concern.

The statement continued, “I call for calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution. ...Turkey is a valued Nato ally.”

It might have escaped your attention but a certain Erdogan has been doing his utmost to destroy Turkey's democratic institutions and its constitution.

This coming from a NATO chief is beyond unbelievable.

[happy Joe]

Be serious, not one European will accept Turkey in the EU.

These was the USA (as always) supported by their first ally GB who maneuver for that NATO member country to be integrated. And it took deploy treasures of diplomacy by EU leaders to pretend accept the principle without ever opening the door.

After Brexit the future is much clearer. Muslim Turkey will remain outside.

Eh!.........Did you fail to mention Merkel and what she as done to get Turkey in and EU restarting talks now the UK has voted to leave? Or was it just another jibe at the UK!?

1 Merkel is a member of EU but she is not the EU.

2 Her two recent legitimate approaches to an agreement on the control of borders with Turkey have nothing to do with integration of Turkey.

3 It is true that as a convinced European who want freedom from the guardianship US Brexit vote sounds like an unexpected windfall.

4 At last, I believe that Britain occupied an incredibly advantageous strategic position, playing on two tables US / EU for a huge political and financial profit. The abandonment of this place on vague demagogic promises is already regarded by many as the most stupid voting of contemporary history.

[Kularion]

This should enhance their chances of EU membership, exactly the type of country to take up the Brexit slack.

Wonder if Mad Merkel will continue to push for fast tracking the application but I suppose even she will have to wait for the dust to settle and see who the last man standing is.

What's the chances of comments locally that it will not affect LoS, tourism or the economy ?

Agree 100%. And damn liberals in EU lead by Merkel will still talks about state of democracy in Poland because they don't like that now we have government which is out of German influence... Damn hypocrites :/

[Kularion]

Be serious, not one European will accept Turkey in the EU.

These was the USA (as always) supported by their first ally GB who maneuver for that NATO member country to be integrated. And it took deploy treasures of diplomacy by EU leaders to pretend accept the principle without ever opening the door.

After Brexit the future is much clearer. Muslim Turkey will remain outside.

Eh!.........Did you fail to mention Merkel and what she as done to get Turkey in and EU restarting talks now the UK has voted to leave? Or was it just another jibe at the UK!?

1 Merkel is a member of EU but she is not the EU.

2 Her two recent legitimate approaches to an agreement on the control of borders with Turkey have nothing to do with integration of Turkey.

3 It is true that as a convinced European who want freedom from the guardianship US Brexit vote sounds like an unexpected windfall.

4 At last, I believe that Britain occupied an incredibly advantageous strategic position, playing on two tables US / EU for a huge political and financial profit. The abandonment of this place on vague demagogic promises is already regarded by many as the most stupid voting of contemporary history.

First of all - Merkel is EU !!! She is calling the shots and nobody else there. EU in it's idea supposed to be federation of free countries but Germany are carrying "MittleEuropa" project with out any war. Merkel achieved now what Germany couldn't achieve in 2 wars.

[NongKhaiKid]

I am just thinking what would have happened had Turkey been in the EU...

That would have been like putting a ferret down Junkers trousers

Be serious, not one European will accept Turkey in the EU.

These was the USA (as always) supported by their first ally GB who maneuver for this NATO member country to be integrated. And it took deploy treasures of diplomacy by EU leaders to pretend accept the principle without ever opening the door.

After Brexit the future is much clearer. Muslim Turkey will remain outside.

Remember many years back the EU set up a commission chaired by former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing to examine the subject of Turkish membership and their findings were very negative pointing out a Moslem country was trying to join a ' Christian club '.

d'Estaing said publicly that they were only stating what many in Brussels believed but wouldn't say because it wasn't PC.

[thaibeachlovers]

Turkey military coup: tanks open fire near parliament building – live updates

It is now after 2.20am in Istanbul, but live video footage appears to show crowds flooding onto the streets, gathering the Bosphorus Bridge and Taksim Square, apparently heeding the request from president Recep Erdoğan to resist the attempted coup. The crowds are directly defying a command from the military, which has declared martial law and implemented a curfew.

TV footage is showing chaotic scenes; some shots appear to show jubilant crowds of hundreds waving flags.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/15/turkey-coup-attempt-military-gunfire-ankara

jubilant crowds of hundreds waving flags.

Indeed, hundreds in a country of millions. If the common people wanted to reinstall the wannabe dictator they would be out in their hundreds of thousands.

Puts me in mind of Baghdad after the fall when US tv crews were filming a handful of anti Saddamites celebrating his ousting and pretending it was an outporing of happiness by the entire population. We know how that worked out, don't we!

[thaibeachlovers]

Nato chief: "full respect" for Turkish government

Nato’s chief has issued a call for “full respect” for Turkey’s democratic institutions and constitution, according to the Associated Press. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement:

I have just spoken to the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. I am following events in

Turkey

closely and with concern.

The statement continued, “I call for calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution. ...Turkey is a valued Nato ally.”

It might have escaped your attention but a certain Erdogan has been doing his utmost to destroy Turkey's democratic institutions and its constitution.

This coming from a NATO chief is beyond unbelievable.

I haven't seen any western leaders calling for the reinstatement of Erdogan. They are just engaging in the required politicispeak. I'm sure they are all leaping for joy at the prospect of the wanabe dictator being ousted permanently.

[Scott]

Posts with oversized graphics have been removed.

[bkkcanuck8]

Nato chief: "full respect" for Turkish government

Nato’s chief has issued a call for “full respect” for Turkey’s democratic institutions and constitution, according to the Associated Press. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement:

I have just spoken to the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. I am following events in

Turkey

closely and with concern.

The statement continued, “I call for calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey’s democratic institutions and its constitution. ...Turkey is a valued Nato ally.”

It might have escaped your attention but a certain Erdogan has been doing his utmost to destroy Turkey's democratic institutions and its constitution.

This coming from a NATO chief is beyond unbelievable.

I haven't seen any western leaders calling for the reinstatement of Erdogan. They are just engaging in the required politicispeak. I'm sure they are all leaping for joy at the prospect of the wanabe dictator being ousted permanently.

Nope, just stating that by the NATO treaty that they are not allowed to interfere in the domestic situation within Turkey....

[stander]

The Turkey coup is a staged event by Erdogan in an attempt to gain ultimate power. They don’t secure the president, they don’t secure support of opposition parties, and they don’t secure police or intelligence service.

Edited July 16, 2016 by stander

[neverdie]

Looks more like a wannabe coup than anything.

Lot of chest pumping going on, confusion seem to reign in turkey ATM.

"Im in charge"

"No you're not, I am"

[FinChin67]

Erdogan calling people on streets. Erdogan systematically destroyed free media and now having to address his nation via Facetime. Oh the irony.

Interesting point:

That doesn't matter to Erdogan however, who continues with the well-known narrative. As a result, many have suggested that this poorly planned coup was in fact created by Erdogan himself to bolster his popularity and his international political image, and so now armed with the sympathy vote he will actively push to conclude Turkey's conversion from a parliamentary regime to a presidential one. As such the coup was nothing more than a carefully staged prop, one which saw virtually nobody hurt, nobody arrested, and practically zero actual involvement by the "army."

It remains to be seen if this is true.

[Usernames]

If Erdogan wins, he'll go full Islamic now.

[klauskunkel]

"I'm making a call out to my people. ... Let us (with "us" I mean "you", because I am at a secure location) gather (I personally can't do any gathering right now, because I am at a secure location, but I am with you in spirit) in our squares, at our airports as the people and let that minority group come upon us (again, "us" means "you" really, poetic license and all that) with their tanks and artillery and do whatever they wish to do (this time I omitted "to us", because I don't want to sound repetitive, but you get the idea)," Erdogan said.

[rooster59]

Turkish officials say coup plotters being arrested

SUZAN FRASER, Associated Press
DOMINIQUE SOGUEL, Associated Press


ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the nation Saturday that his government was working to crush a coup attempt after a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire across the capital that left at least 17 dead and scores wounded.

Government officials said the coup appeared to have failed as Turks took to the streets overnight to confront troops attempting to take over the country. However, the sounds of huge blasts continued to ring out in the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul throughout the morning, including a bomb that hit the parliament complex.

Speaking on national television from Istanbul, Erdogan said the government was arresting coup supporters in the military and "they will pay a heavy price for their treason to Turkey," according to a transcript of his remarks provided by his office. "Those who stain the military's reputation must leave. The process has started today and it will continue just as we fight other terrorist groups."

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, said more than 120 arrests were made.

Erdogan, who said his general secretary had been abducted by the coup plotters, flew into Istanbul's Ataturk airport early Saturday and was greeted by large crowds. Hours earlier, as the coup attempt got under way, his office had declined to say where he was, and he was forced to give an interview over FaceTime to a television station.

The chaos capped a period of political turmoil in Turkey blamed on Erdogan's increasingly authoritarian rule, which has included a government shake up, a crackdown on dissidents and opposition media and renewed conflict in the mainly Kurdish areas of the southeast.

Turkey, a NATO member, is a key partner in U.S.-led efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, and has allowed American jets to use its Incirlik air base to fly missions against the extremists in nearby Syria and Iraq. A coup against the democratically elected government could make it difficult for the United States to continue to cooperate with Turkey.

U.S. President Barack Obama urged all sides in Turkey to support the democratically elected government. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and called for respect for democracy.

The coup attempt began late Friday, with a statement from the military saying it had seized control "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for law and order to be reinstated."

Fighter jets buzzed overhead, gunfire erupted outside military headquarters and vehicles blocked two major bridges in Istanbul. Soldiers blocked entry to Istanbul's airport, where four tanks were stationed, according to the private Dogan news agency. Two other tanks and a military vehicle were stationed in front of the VIP terminal. Dogan said the soldiers had entered the tower and stopped all flights.

But the military did not appear unified, with top commanders taking to television to condemn the action and order troops back to their barracks.

"Those who are attempting a coup will not succeed. Our people should know that we will overcome this," Gen. Zekai Aksakalli, the commander of the military special forces, told the private NTV television by telephone.

Fighter jets under the control of loyalist forces were flying over the capital to strike at helicopters flown by coup supporters, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. Private NTV television reported that one helicopter was shot down. Gunfire and explosions rang out.

Erdogan called on Turks to take to the streets across the country, and many did, marching through the streets of Izmir and Istanbul, waving Turkish flags and gathering in the main square in Ankara. The Dogan news agency reported that soldiers fired on a group of people trying to cross the Bosporus bridge to protest the attempted coup, and that some people have been hurt. TV footage showed people running for cover as shots rang out.

Troops also fired in the air to disperse a growing crowd of government supporters at the Taksim monument in Istanbul as military helicopters flew overhead. A nearby mosque made an anti-coup announcement over its loudspeakers.

During the fighting, 17 police officers were killed in a helicopter attack on police special forces headquarters on the outskirts of Ankara, Anadolu said.

An official at Haydarpasa Numune Hospital in Istanbul said at least 150 people were admitted with wounds, but would not comment on whether there were fatalities. NTV reported six dead had been brought to that hospital. An official at Istanbul's Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital said they had also received dead and wounded. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to comment publicly.

Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman said a bomb hit one corner of a public relations building inside the parliament complex, injuring some police officers.

By Saturday morning, a top Turkish official said the coup attempt appeared to have been repelled. The senior official told The Associated Press that all government officials were in charge of their offices. The official requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Earlier, Nuh Yilmaz, a spokesman for Turkish National Intelligence told CNN Turk the coup attempt had been quashed, adding that military chief of staff Gen. Hulusi Akar was back in control. However, Erdogan raised doubts about that during his address, saying, "I don't know what the situation is concerning our chief of military staff."

As the crisis unfolded, there were reports that access to popular social media sites like Twitter and Facebook had been blocked within the country. Facebook declined comment, but Twitter said it suspected "intentional" interference with its service.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-07-16

[FinChin67]

I wonder how long it takes for him to get sharia law in place... Merkel is jumping with joy now too.

[i claudius]

If Erdogan wins, he'll go full Islamic now.

And a massive amount of the population will be with him , you cant trust any of this lot and Merky wants to let them into the E.U thank God we are out .

[muratremix]

It was a RUSE. Not a military takeover. Now Erdogan can become President (one-man ruler) with increased public support. We just saw a real military takeover in Thailand 2 years ago. What happened in Turkey was anything but a military takeover.

[SgtRock]

It might have escaped your attention but a certain Erdogan has been doing his utmost to destroy Turkey's democratic institutions and its constitution.

This coming from a NATO chief is beyond unbelievable.

I haven't seen any western leaders calling for the reinstatement of Erdogan. They are just engaging in the required politicispeak. I'm sure they are all leaping for joy at the prospect of the wanabe dictator being ousted permanently.

As Erdogan, at this stage has not been ousted, no-one would be calling for his reinstatement.

However.

Officials of the EU – the president of the European council, Donald Tusk; the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker; and the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini – have issued a statement supporting the Turkish government tonight:

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. We continue to follow closely the developments and to coordinate with the 28 EU member states.

That would suggest to me, support for Erdogan.

Sometimes, just sometimes. Politico's should keep their collective mouths shut rather than shooting their mouths off.

[tuanku]

The military said it seized control "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated."

Does this sound familiar? Justification for military coups everywhere!

[thaibeachlovers]

It might have escaped your attention but a certain Erdogan has been doing his utmost to destroy Turkey's democratic institutions and its constitution.

This coming from a NATO chief is beyond unbelievable.

I haven't seen any western leaders calling for the reinstatement of Erdogan. They are just engaging in the required politicispeak. I'm sure they are all leaping for joy at the prospect of the wanabe dictator being ousted permanently.

As Erdogan, at this stage has not been ousted, no-one would be calling for his reinstatement.

However.

Officials of the EU – the president of the European council, Donald Tusk; the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker; and the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini – have issued a statement supporting the Turkish government tonight:

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. We continue to follow closely the developments and to coordinate with the 28 EU member states.

That would suggest to me, support for Erdogan.

Sometimes, just sometimes. Politico's should keep their collective mouths shut rather than shooting their mouths off.

Support for the constitution that Erdogan has been subverting is not support for Erdogan.

Yes indeed, some should keep their mouths shut or be condemned for being superior ( in their own opinions ) know it alls.

[SgtRock]

As Erdogan, at this stage has not been ousted, no-one would be calling for his reinstatement.

However.

Officials of the EU – the president of the European council, Donald Tusk; the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker; and the EU high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini – have issued a statement supporting the Turkish government tonight:

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. We continue to follow closely the developments and to coordinate with the 28 EU member states.

That would suggest to me, support for Erdogan.

Sometimes, just sometimes. Politico's should keep their collective mouths shut rather than shooting their mouths off.

Support for the constitution that Erdogan has been subverting is not support for Erdogan.

Yes indeed, some should keep their mouths shut or be condemned for being superior ( in their own opinions ) know it alls.

Did you miss this part ?

The EU fully supports the democratically elected government

You should try reading before mouthing off.

[klauskunkel]

The military said it seized control "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated."

Does this sound familiar? Justification for military coups everywhere!

In Thailand the military seized power to stop misunderstandings.

[ezzra]

Pity, I would have like to see this megalomaniac, an ottoman's sultan wannabe Edrogan removed from power,

been there for too long now, time Turkey will get a sane person as it's leader....

[neverdie]

Pity, I would have like to see this megalomaniac, an ottoman's sultan wannabe Edrogan removed from power,

been there for too long now, time Turkey will get a sane person as it's leader....

Where do you get one of these 'Sane leaders' from? Haven't seen too many around lately.

[user82374298374]

What kind of values does the coup attempting military hold?

I guess you don't know anything about modern Turkish history, and are too lazy to look it up on the Internet.

The officer corps of the Turkish military are Kemalist atheists, and therefore want a secular government. Their role throughout the 20th Century was to ensure that the mad mullahs don't run the country. If the populace elected some mad mullahs, the military would come out of the barracks, hang the mullahs, return to the barracks, and tell the populace to hold new elections. They didn't attempt to govern.

One of the many negative consequences of the misguided US interventions in the Middle East has been to energize the population of Turkey to such a degree that the mullahs have gained the upper hand over the Kemalists. Many of the Kemalist senior military leadership have been purged on trumped-up charges of plotting coups; the military have grown tired of it, and decided to stage a real coup.

The Gulenists are followers of another mad mullah who resides in the United States. There have been ongoing struggles for control of the police and civil service between the Erdogan wing and the Gulenists. The Kemalists aren't fond of the Gulenists, but might temporarily ally with them against the Erdogan wing.

I hope the coup prevails; time will tell.

[muratremix]

The military said it seized control "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated."

Does this sound familiar? Justification for military coups everywhere!

In this case, it was true. If it was a real coup of course!

There is no human rights and freedoms, no rule of law in Turkey. Sharia is coming!

[Steely Dan]

Though it's hard to get a clear picture yet I would struggle to see how any replacement to Erdogan could be regarded as anything but an improvement.

[schlog]

Today we learn again that turks are only good in belly dancing and doner kebab.

[amdy2206]

Same as Thailand, then!