https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/15/turkey-coup-attempt-military-gunfire-ankara?page=with:block-578a502ae4b08239dbab7a08#block-578a502ae4b08239dbab7a08
The Guardian
Turkey coup: celebrations in Ankara as Erdoğan cracks down on insurgents
President insists he remains in charge
Around 160 dead, 2,840 military arrested
Who is Fethullah Gülen?
Coup attempt ‘may destabilise region’
Latest summary: what we know so far
Alan Yuhas (now), Jamie Grierson , Claire Phipps, Sam Levin and Kevin Rawlinson (earlier)
Saturday 16 July 2016 18.28 BST
22s ago
18:39
Erdoğan calls on Obama to arrest Gülen
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is speaking from Istanbul, where he calls on Barack Obama to arrest cleric Fethullah Gülen or deport him to Turkey to face charges related to the coup.
He says that if the US and Turkey are truly strategic allies, then the American president will help Erdoğan with regard to the exiled imam, who lives in central Pennsylvania.
Erdoğan then says that the attempted coup was perpetrated by a minority within the army, but not the military in general. More than 2,800 service members have been arrested so far and there are reports of more arrests around Turkey. Erdoğan’s government has also removed more than 2,700 judges and prosecutors from duty.
24m ago
18:15
Kareem Shaheen
Calm fell on Ankara in the aftermath of chaos and battles with soldiers, my colleague Kareem Shaheen reports, but the city anticipates new demonstrations as night falls and the weather cools.
Crowds are relatively thin and resting near the parliament and military headquarters in anticipation of the big demonstration later this evening. There are regular and plainclothes policemen in the central area who have established a security cordon around the parliament and the military headquarters, both of which were damaged in attacks during the coup.
I witnessed a debate between two police officers and a group of civilians – one of the police officers was telling them the regular soldiers aren’t to blame because they were just following orders. But a woman who was debating them said she blamed them for opening fire on civilians and expressed outrage that they had taken such a step.
As the group dispersed, one of the police officers said: “Let’s show them today how strong we are.”
34m ago
18:07
American military flights have been halted at the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey, according to the Pentagon.
“The Turkish government has closed its airspace to military aircraft, and as a result air operations at Incirlik Air Base have been halted at this time,” spokesperson Peter Cook said in a statement.
“Officials are working with the Turks to resume air operations there as soon as possible. In the meantime, US Central Command is adjusting flight operations in the counter-ISIL campaign to minimize any effects on the campaign. US facilities at Incirlik are operating on internal power sources and a loss of commercial power to the base has not affected base operations.”
Çavuşoğlu.
Çavuşoğlu. Photograph: Alexander Shcherbak/TASS
Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said that coup plotters were at the air base and have been arrested, Reuters reports. Çavuşoğlu promised the anti-terror campaign will resume once anti-coup operations have ended.
He added that he’s spoken to US secretary of state John Kerry and stressed to him that the coup was launched by a network associated with exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen.
In 2015 Turkey agreed to let the US fly military strikes out of the base against jihadi militants in Syria and Iraq. Earlier on Saturday Kerry said that “as of this moment” Turkey’s coordination with the US on counter-terrorism was unchanged.
“Turkey’s cooperation with us with our coutner-terrorism efforts, in our Nato obligations and in our regional efforts with respect to Syria and Isis have not been affected negatively,” he said. “All of that has continued as before.”
49m ago
17:51
The White House does not know of any Americans killed or injured in clashes overnight in Turkey, according to a statement on Barack Obama’s latest briefing.
In the statement Obama reiterates the need for continued coordination with Turkey, with which the US relies on for military and intelligence support and stemming the flow of refugees from Syria.
“The president this morning received an update from his national security and broader foreign policy team on the situation in Turkey. The president’s advisers apprised him of the most recent developments on the ground, and the president instructed his team to continue to work with their Turkish counterparts to maintain the safety and well-being of diplomatic missions and personnel, US servicemembers and their dependents.
“While we have no indications as of yet that Americans were killed or injured in the violence, the president and his team lamented the loss of life and registered the vital need for all parties in Turkey to act within the rule of law and to avoid actions that would lead to further violence or instability. The president also underscored the shared challenges that will require continued Turkish cooperation, including our joint efforts against terrorism.”
Analysis Turkey coup attempt could destabilize ally in region reeling from terrorism
Middle East experts say Turkish military’s apparent attempt to seize power on Friday has sent shockwaves through Nato and across the world
Read more
1h ago
17:38
Turkey detains top general and judge
Turkish authorities have detained one of the military’s top generals and a member of the nation’s highest court, according to Anadolu news and CNN Türk.
Reuters has background on the officials:
General Adem Huduti is the most senior officer to be apprehended so far following the attempted intervention that killed more than 160 people. The Second Army, based in Malatya, protects Turkey’s borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran.
Alparslan Altan is a member of the country’s top court and the most senior judicial figure among scores of civilians detained so far.
2h ago
17:05
What we know
Nearly 18 hours after Turkish tanks and soldiers first closed bridges in Istanbul and a group within the military declared itself in control to “to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms”, the coup has failed and the backlash begun.
A faction of the Turkish military tried and failed to stage a coup to overthrow president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and sent tanks and soldiers into the streets of Istanbul and Ankara, where they clashed with ultimately successful protesters.
Around 200 people at minimum were killed in the violence, though authorities have given distinct tallies. Prime minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that 161 “martyrs” were killed, including civilians and police, and that at least 1,440 people were wounded. The general acting as chief of staff, Umit Dundar, said earlier in the day that 104 “coup plotters” were killed in the fighting.
Loyalists arrested 2,839 army members and removed 2,745 judges from duty, according to authorities and broadcaster NTV, as Erdoğan’s government began to purge the government and military of suspected dissidents.
Erdoğan returned to Istanbul after an extraordinary iPhone address that called people to the streets, and said that the attempted coup was “treason” by “a minority within our armed forces”.
Yildirim said that Turkey would consider reinstating the death penalty to punish coup-plotters and the “black stain” they had left on the nation’s democracy. Tensions remained high in some areas, with police preparing for more demonstrations overnight.
Soldiers surrendered en masse in and around Istanbul, including 50 soldiers on the Bosphorus Bridge who abandoned their tanks and weapons in the face of crowds. The US diplomatic personnel confirmed social media videos and photos of sporadic gunfire and violence around Istanbul and Ankara.
Turkish ministers returned to parliament, where at least one bomb had exploded on Friday night and where sections of the building lie in ruin. The head of the armed forces, General Hulusi Akar, who was reportedly freed from captivity.
Erdoğan and Yildirim accused an exiled cleric, Fethullah Gülen, of organizing the plot from his home in Pennsylvania. Gülen denied the charges and condemned the coup, and US secretary of state John Kerry said the US would consider extradition but required evidence of the imam’s wrongdoing.
Two Turkish majors, a captain and five privates requested asylum in Greece after landing in a military helicopter. Greece’s defense ministry acknowledged a landing near Alexandroupolis, and said the passengers were arrested for illegal entry.
Barack Obama, Angela Merkel, Donald Tusk and other world leaders condemned the coup in emphatic terms. All of Turkey’s major political parties, including those that have vehemently opposed Erdoğan’s AKP, also denounced the attempted coup.
Analysis 'It was like the 1970s': how soldiers on the street tested Turkey's post-coup politics
Coups used to be a feature of Turkish politics but had not occurred since 1997. Now government wrestles with fallout of failed putsch
2h ago
16:30
PM Yildirim: any country with Gulen is an enemy of Turkey
Any country that stands by exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen will be considered an enemy of Turkey, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has said in remarks reported by Reuters.
Yildirim and president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have accused Gulen, who lives at a remote compound in central Pennsylvania, of orchestrating the coup with a faction of the military. They have said that Gulen created a “parallel structure” within the courts, media and military.
Gulen has condemned “in the strongest terms the attempted military coup” and “categorically” denied any involvement. “Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force,” he said in a statement.
Speaking in parliament, Yildirim also said that he hopes Turkey’s political parties will be able to set aside their past enmity and have a “new start” together.
American secretary of state John Kerry said earlier on Saturday that the US has not received any extradition request and would hear a petition. But he made clear that the US would require evidence of Gulen’s wrongdoing.
“I’m sure people will wonder about allegations of who may have instigated this and where support came from,” he said. “The United States will obviously be supportive of any legitimate investigative efforts and under due process and within the law, we will be completely supportive of efforts to assist the government if they so request.”
Kerry added that he hopes: “that there will be a constitutional process, and a legal process, that will deal appropriately with coup-plotters.”
Analysis Fethullah Gülen: who is the man Turkey's president blames for coup attempt?
Cleric who leads global Hizmet movement from exile in Pennyslvania, US, is a critic of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and remains influential in Turkish affairs
2h ago
16:16
In Ankara my colleague Kareem Shaheen is with the scores of people celebrating in the aftermath of the failed coup – he reports that police and the loyal military factions are preparing for more trouble later today, despite the joyous atmosphere.
3h ago
16:09
Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, said that the community should have a unified reaction to every coup attempt, according to the state-run news agency.
Speaking to Turkey’s private news channel NTV, Kilicidaroglu took a stand against a military coup attempt, Anadolu agency.
“Community should give joint reaction to every coup attempt,” he said.
“So, whoever does, wherever it comes, we should take a joint stand against the coup as we take a joint stand against terrorism.”
The head of the Turkish Nationalist Party (MHP) Devlet Bahceli made a telephone call to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and said the attempted coup was not acceptable, according to a report from the Turkish state-run agency.
According to a statement form the Turkish Prime Ministry, Bahceli said his party is in solidarity with Turkish Republic, Anadolu agency reports.
In a written statement, Bahceli said an attempt at suspending democracy and ignoring the national will is a big mistake against Turkey.
“The price Turkey will pay will be considerably high in the event of a civil war in Turkey. As Turkish people, we need to be distant to all kinds of interventions risking our national unity and integrity,” he said.
In a joint written statement, People’s Democratic Party (HDP) co-chairs, Selehattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, said: “HDP takes a stand against every coup in every condition.”
“There is no way beside protecting the democratic politics,” it added.
3h ago
15:33
Hundreds of people waving Turkish flags have gathered outside of the parliament in Ankara to protest the coup attempt as legislators prepare to hold an emergency session, AP reports.
In an unprecedented show of unity, all four parties represented in parliament are expected to issue a joint declaration Saturday condemning the attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.
The extraordinary session began with a minute of silence in honor of those who lost their lives during the coup, followed by the singing of the national anthem.
3h ago
15:20
The Associated Press has taken a look at Turkey’s long history of coups here:
How long has the military intervened in politics?
The military staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and pressured Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, a pious Muslim mentor of Erdogan who was disliked by Turkey’s secular establishment, out of power in 1997. In 2007, the military threatened to intervene in a presidential election and warned the government to curb Islamic influences, but the action backfired and Abdullah Gul, the candidate favored by a government with Islamic leanings, took office. The latest coup attempt surprised observers because Erdogan’s government had taken steps to bring the military to heel, including dismissals and prosecutions of high-ranking active and former officers for alleged coup plots. Erdogan’s government appeared to be working effectively with the military, coordinating on national security issues and confronting a perceived anti-government faction said to have infiltrated the police and other institutions.
Why would the military try to step in now?
The Turkish military has traditionally seen itself as the guardian of Turkey’s old secular establishment, a legacy of national founder and former army officer Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as well as an enforcer of order in times of civil unrest and weak civilian leadership. While it was forced to lower its political profile under Erdogan’s government, Turkey’s military has been buffeted by a renewed conflict with Kurdish separatist rebels and bombings by suspected Islamic extremists, including an attack on Istanbul’s main airport last month that killed dozens. Erdogan has also been a polarizing leader, though he commands deep support among a pious Muslim class that once felt marginalized under past military-influenced governments.
Why is the Turkish military so important?
Turkey is a NATO member and a key partner in U.S.-led efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, and has allowed American fighter jets to use its Incirlik air base to fly missions against the extremists. Turkey’s strategic location in the Mideast region, straddling the Asian and European continents, makes it a critical player in international conflicts. In 2003, Turkey barred U.S. forces from using its territory in the invasion of Iraq, raising questions about whether the politically powerful Turkish military had undercut a civilian-led initiative to help the Americans.
What do Turks think about their military?
Turks have a conflicted relationship with their military, an institution that is cloaked in the lore of sacrifice, but also tarnished as a past symbol of repression. Past military coup leaders have been seen as saviors from chaos and corruption, but also ruthless. In the 1960 military takeover, the prime minister and key ministers were executed. Torture, disappearances and extrajudicial killings were rampant in a 1980 coup. Despite that past, the military retains respect and vast economic resources. Service is a rite of passage for almost all men, who serve as conscripts. Soldiers who die in fighting with Kurdish rebels are hailed as martyrs.
3h ago
15:15
Demonstrators against the coup have gathered in the Turkish capital of Ankara waving flags and singing the national anthem. Here’s some images that have come into the Guardian picture desk of the scenes.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has condemned the attempted military coup in Turkey and said Berlin stood by those who defended democracy and the rule of law in Turkey.
“It’s tragic that so many people died during this attempted coup,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin. “The bloodshed in Turkey must stop now.”
Merkel said it was the right of the Turkish people to choose their political leader in free elections and political change should only be achieved within the framework of political institutions and the rules of democratic competition.
“Tanks on the streets and air strikes against the own people are injustice,” Merkel said.
4h ago
15:03
The Dialogue Society, a charity aimed at improving social cohesion, has issued a statement commenting on the coup, in which it claims its Turkish-speaking members in the UK have reported a spike in hate-crime since the coup erupted. It said:
We hope those accused with trying to overthrow the government will be tried in courts of law and this incident becomes a source of motivation for strengthening Turkey’s democracy. We are particularly concerned that Turkey’s domestic troubles are used as a source of polarisation of the Turkish-speaking communities overseas and have already received reports from members of hate crime originating out of the UK. We encourage anyone who witnesses hate crime to report it to the police immediately.
4h ago
14:59
My US colleague Amana Fontanella-Khan is outside the Pennsylvania home of Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric blamed by the Turkish president for the failed coup attempt.
4h ago
14:48
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would entertain an extradition request for exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkey’s president blames for a failed coup, AP reports.
But Kerry added Turkey’s government would have to present evidence of Gulen’s wrongdoing that withstands scrutiny.
While visiting Luxembourg, Kerry said Turkey hasn’t made a request to send the Pennsylvania-based Gulen home. But he says he anticipates questions about Gulen, who has condemned the coup.
4h ago
14:21
John Kerry, US Secretary of State, has spoken at length to reporters about his administration’s analysis of the failed coup in Turkey and the fallout. He said:
The United States, without any hesitation, squarely and unequivocally stands for democratic leadership, for the respect for the democratically elected leader and for constitutional process with that regard.
We stand by the Government of Turkey. It is our understanding that things are now calm, that order is being restored. I talked directly with my foreign minister counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, last night at the time where things were still uncertain as to what was happening and expressed my confidence in him and in the Government and our readiness to be supportive.
At this moment, all of our embassy personnel are 100% accounted for and okay. We are working to determine that all of our citizens who are travelling in Turkey are equally well taken care of and protected.
There was obviously an unfortunate loss of life and so we extend our sympathies to all of the families of the victims, and our hope that in the immediate hours here things will remain calm. That there will be a constitutional process, and a legal process, that will deal appropriately with coup-plotters.
But as of this moment, Turkey’s co-operation with us with our coutner-terrorism efforts, in our Nato obligations and in our regional efforts with respect to Syria and Isis have not been affected negatively. All of that has continued as before.
I’m sure people will wonder about allegations of who may have instigated this and where support came from, the United States will obviously be supportive of any legitimate investigative efforts and under due process and within the law, we will be completely supportive of efforts to assist the Government if they so request.
The Independent
Pictures of life for Turkey's 2.5 million Syrian refugees
The EU has started to deport people back to a country accused of shooting Syrian refugees
Matt Broomfield @hashtagbroom Tuesday 5 April 2016
As the first wave of refugees is deported from Greece to Turkey, human rights advocates have raised concerns about the country's suitability as a destination for asylum-seekers.
Turkey is home to over 2.5 million Syrian refugees, but its refugee camps can only house around 200,000.
Images of the shelter provided to refugees upon their immediate return from Greece appear to show hundreds of people sleeping under one roof in cramped conditions.
In addition to dangerous and unsanitary conditions within Turkey, it is alleged that Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government is illegally deporting thousands of refugees back to Syria without hearing their applications for asylum.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights further alleges that 16 people seeking asylum in Turkey have been shot dead in the past four months, with three children among the victims.
And those refugees who remain in Turkey face a poor quality of life. Under Turkish law, no-one from outside of Europe can legally be considered a refugee, opening the door to potential human rights abuses.
Turkey is allegedly blocking refugees in southern regions from registering with the government, meaning they cannot access basic amenities or support. An estimated 80 per cent of Syrian refugee children in Turkey do not attend school.
Despite these concerns, Turkey has been declared a “safe country” by the EU. In return for taking back refugees, the Erdogan government will receive £4.6bn in aid from the European Union, and its citizens will win the right to free movement through the Schengen area.
Speaking to The Independent, Human Rights Watch refugee advocate Gerry Simpson said the deportation of Syrian refugees to Turkey marked a “historic day of shame” for the European community.
He continued: “Like a thief in the night, the EU kicked off its shameful refugee dumping deal under cover of dawn.
"We have a number of concerns right now, but number one is the concern that the EU is breaching European law by returning people who need protection to an unsafe country."
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