Turkish military appears divided over coup attempt

On Twitter, users shared images and videos of scenes in Istanbul and Ankara, with gunshots heard in the background of some videos. He urged his supporters to take to the streets and rally in support of the government. “The process has started today and it will continue just as we fight other terrorist groups”. “It will end well”.

Erdogan was reportedly on vacation in the western resort area of Bodrum Friday when the military group made its moves, but according to an update from BNO News, he has returned home.

People chanted slogans in Kayseri as “We are all soldiers, we are all police”. Television footage showed civilians coming into the streets in many places, with some waving red-and-white Turkish flags.

He placed blame for the coup on military units he said were influenced by scholar and religious leader Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the United States.

Turkish solders and protesters in Taksim square in Istanbul early on Saturday.

Erdogan had been on vacation at the Black Sea, but his exact whereabouts were not immediately clear.

I’m inviting them out to all our public squares.

“I’m making a call out to my people”.

Erdogan, who previously served as prime minister for more than a decade until 2014, has been accused by domestic opponents and human rights groups of becoming increasingly authoritarian and attempting to silence critics.

A senior European Union source monitoring the situation said: “It looks like a relatively well orchestrated coup by a significant body of the military, not just a few colonels”.

President Barack Obama urged all sides in Turkey to support the democratically elected government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Crowds also gathered in the main square in the capital, Ankara.

Military issues statements about seizing control: “The political administration that has lost all legitimacy has been forced to withdraw”, said a Turkish state broadcast anchor, reading from a statement from the “Peace in the Nation” council.

“Those who are attempting a coup will not succeed”.

The announcement declared the imposition of martial law, with a curfew in effect until further notice.

Troops take control of state media: Turkish state broadcaster TRT was taken over by a faction of the military that was part of the coup attempt.

There were reports of warplanes flying low over Istanbul, as well as shots and explosions throughout the metropolis.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said a bomb hit the Turkish parliament in Ankara and CNN-Turk television said some police officers and parliament workers were hurt.

Turkish security officers detain Turkish police officers (in black) in Istanbul, during a security shutdown of the Bosphorus Bridge, July 15, 2016. Turkey has also been the launching point for many Syrian refugees heading to Europe. To cite just one example, the USA military has been using Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base for aircraft that are bombing the Islamic State in Syria.

The U.S. Department of State tweeted there have been reports on social media that have been blocked, suggesting people looking to reach out to family and friends in the country should do so using email, telephone or text message. That’s going to hamper our air strikes against the Islamic State in neighboring Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim called the military actions in multiple cities an attempted coup.

“The government elected by the people remains in charge”.

There’s a full-blown military coup occurring in Turkey.

As the crisis unfolded, there were reports that access to popular social media sites like Twitter and Facebook had been blocked within the country.

In the capital Ankara, warplanes and helicopters roared overhead and tanks rolled through the streets.

The newspaper Hurriyet reported the airport is closed.

According to the L.A. Times, the group operates about 120 nonprofits and schools in the U.S.

Soldiers blocked entry to Ataturk Airport where four tanks were stationed, according to the private Dogan news agency.

This is a breaking news story.