Turkish government says situation under control; air base used by U.S. closed
A violent, chaotic night in Turkey ended with at least 161 people dead, but the government said Saturday it remains firmly in control following a coup attempt by some members of the military.
Meanwhile, Turkish military authorities have closed the airspace around Turkey's Incirlik air base -- the site Turkey allows the United States to use for operations related to its air campaign against ISIS in Syria and Iraq -- a U.S. defense official told CNN on Saturday.
This has led to a halt in U.S. airstrike missions against ISIS from that location, the official said on condition of anonymity. Turkish officials told the United States that the airspace has been closed until they can make sure all elements of the Turkish air force are in the hands of pro-government forces after Friday's coup attempt, the U.S. official said.
Clothes and weapons beloging to soldiers involved in the coup attempt lie on the ground abandoned on Bosphorus Bridge.
There was one exception: A small number of U.S. planes that already were on missions before the airspace closed have been allowed to return and land at Incirlik, the official said, adding that there is no clear understanding about how long the airspace closure will last.
Earlier, the U.S. consulate in Adana reported that power to the base had been cut and local authorities were preventing movement onto and off the site. The consulate warned U.S. citizens to avoid the area.
The base is home to the Turkish Air Force and the U.S. Air Force's 39th Air Base Wing, which includes about 1,500 American personnel, according to the base's website.
Uprising 'under control'
Soliders involved in the coup attempt surrender on Bosphorus Bridge on Saturday.
The latest developments came just hours after Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the situation in Turkey was under control, with all military commanders back to work.
"Our nation in this incident has shown a great resilience," Yildirim said. "Those who have done this uprising should understand this reality that no one can play games with the stability of this country and the love of freedom and democracy."
Chaos broke out Friday night when military tanks rolled onto the streets of Ankara and Istanbul and soldiers blocked the famous Bosphorus Bridge. Blasts rang out, leaving stunned residents wondering what was going on.
Turkey's attempted coup: By the numbers
• At least 161 people killed
• 2,839 military officers were detained
• At least 1,140 people wounded
• 1 airfield still under military faction's control
• At least 200 soldiers turned themselves in to police in Ankara
• 11 years: Erdogan's reign as Prime Minister
• 2014: Year that Erdogan ran for President -- and won
The Turkish military claim of a takeover was read by an anchor on state broadcaster TRT. She said the military imposed martial law.
The military said it seized control of the country to maintain democratic order, adding that the "political administration that has lost all legitimacy has been forced to withdraw."
The attempted coup appeared to lose momentum after a defiant President Recep Tayyip Erdogan returned from a vacation at the seaside resort of Marmaris and declared his government was in control. But by the time he reemerged after hours of silence, dozens of people had died in the violence.
Of the 161 deaths, most were police officers killed in a gunfire exchange with a helicopter near the Parliament complex in Ankara, Turkey's NTV reported. It said the building was damaged.
An additional 1,140 people were wounded, said Yildirim.
A total of 2,839 military officers were detained, a source in the President's office said. And the Ankara chief public prosecutor's office took nearly 200 top Turkish court officials into custody, Anatolian News Agency reported Saturday.
The officials include 140 members of the Supreme Court and 48 members of the Council of State, one of Turkey's three high courts.
8 seek asylum in Greece
A Turkish helicopter carrying eight men landed in Greece Saturday and the men aboard requested political asylum, Greek government spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili said.
In response to this news, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu tweeted that Turkey has "requested the immediate surrender of eight heinous soldiers who escaped to Greece with a helicopter."
Greece is considering the asylum request, and the helicopter -- which landed at an airport in Alexandroupoli, near the Turkish border -- will be returned to Turkish authorities, Gerovasili said. The helicopter landed after issuing a distress signal regarding a mechanical failure, Gerovasili said.
How the night's violence unfolded
Witness Katherine Cohen, an American who's staying in an Istanbul hotel, said she heard a loud explosion at sunrise, and gunfire and jets all through the night.
For much of the night, fighter jets flew low over Istanbul while armored vehicles streamed across a main bridge in the city. Gunshots rang out on Bosphorus Bridge, sending pro-government protesters to the ground.
In Ankara, gunfire rang overnight as jets circled above.
"When I stuck my head out, I could see helicopters shooting," said Diego Cupolo, a photojournalist in Ankara.
He said he could see tracer rounds zip through the air.
Bombs were thrown at the Parliament building in Ankara. A helicopter the government says was stolen by coup plotters was shot down by an F-16.
Erdogan emerges
Turkish people look at a burned car in Istanbul on Saturday.
As the morning wore on, crowds emptied out of Istanbul's Taksim Square, where many gathered the night before.
In Istanbul, a defiant Erdogan addressed crowds, telling them that the coup had been quashed.
President addresses country on FaceTime
"The government is in control," he told supporters as they chanted his name. "Fifty percent of the people elected the President and that President is on duty."
He said those involved will be dealt with.
"So far as we believe, so far as we're alive, we'll be prepared to die in the cause to tackle these people ... we're not going to compromise."
The surrender
Turkish soldiers walk with hands up
Shortly after dawn, video footage showed soldiers surrendering en masse. At least 200 soldiers turned themselves in to police in Ankara, Turkish state media reported.
They walked away from tanks and abandoned their posts on the Bosphorus Bridge, which connects the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
Turkish Airlines resumed flights out of Istanbul Ataturk airport, which had earlier been overrun by protesters.
A Turkish police officer embracea a man on a tank after the military position was taken over at the Anatolian side at Uskudar in Istanbul on Saturday.
The tragedy of Turkey's attempted coup
Erdogan called the attempted coup "treason" and took to task the forces he apparently suspects of masterminding it.
"Now I'm addressing those in Pennsylvania," he said, in an apparent reference to Fethullah Gulen, a cleric and former ally who lives in exile in Pennsylvania.
"The betrayal you have shown to this nation and to this community, that's enough. If you have the courage, come back to your country. If you can. You will not have the means to turn this country into a mess from where you are."
In a statement, Gulen denied any connection to the coup attempt and said he condemned it.
Assessing the damage
People protesting against the coup wave a Turkish flag on top of the monument in Taksim Square.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the street after Erdogan's call to confront the military was broadcast on television.
Many waved Turkish flags and chanted their support for the President. Some climbed on tanks and blocked the path of military vehicles with their cars. But some soldiers got hugs from apparent supporters.
Ömer Çelik, Turkey's EU negotiator, tweeted images that he said showed some of the damage at the Turkish Parliament:
"Our country has been subjected to treacherous enemy attack, which displays betrayal to the nation, their uniforms and morals. The necessary response has been shown to the enemy and it is still being shown," he said.
News Courtesy: www.cnn.com
