Scores of people have been killed in Turkey and more than 1,400 wounded as a result of an attempted coup overnight. But who was responsible, what happened and why?
How did it start?
Bridges over the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul were blocked by troops late evening local time on Friday. Fighter jets and helicopters were seen flying over the Turkish capital, Ankara, and gunshots heard.
Soon after, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that an attempt to overthrow the government was underway.
A faction of the army then said, via a state broadcaster, that it had seized power to protect democracy from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
AFP
A curfew, martial law and the preparation of a new constitution was announced. In response Mr Erdogan called on his supporters to take to the streets in protest and returned to Ankara from a holiday resort.
Over the course of a violent night, TV stations were raided by soldiers, explosions heard in Istanbul and Ankara, protesters shot at, the parliament and presidential buildings fired upon, a military helicopter shot down and the Turkish military chief taken hostage.
How did it end?
In the early hours of Saturday morning, groups of soldiers involved began to surrender. Troops abandoned their tanks with their hands up.
GETTY IMAGES
Security forces also took back key installations and bases, including the military headquarters. By noon local time, Turkey's EU minister Omer Celik said the situation was "90 percent under control".
It remains unclear, but the government has blamed Fethullah Gulen, a powerful, reclusive US-based Muslim cleric whom it accuses of fomenting unrest. Mr Gulen denied the claims and has condemned the coup.
Turkish media have suggested two men may have orchestrated the putsch: General Akin Ozturk, the former commander of the Turkish Air Force, and Lieutenant-General Metin Iyidil, a commander with the Land Forces Training and Doctrine Command.
GETTY IMAGES
In any case, nearly 3,000 alleged coup backers have been detained, including high-ranking officers. Some soldiers have claimed to have been told they were taking part in military exercises and did not know a coup was being attempted, media reports say.
President Erdogan has also dismissed some 2,745 judges in the wake of the coup.
Why would they have done it?
The Turkish army has historically intervened in politics as it sees itself as the protector of Turkey's secularism and democracy.
It has had tensions with Mr Erdogan's AKP party over its political Islamism. The president has also cracked down on free media and is seen as an authoritarian by many people.
BBC Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen also suggests the war in neighbouring Syria and its spill over effects on Turkey, including jihadist attacks, may have been a factor.
What has the response been outside Turkey?
US President Barack Obama called on Turks to support their elected government, while European Council President Donald Tusk and called for a "swift return to Turkey's constitutional order".
The Nato military alliance, of which Turkey is a member, called for "full respect" for Turkey's democratic institutions.
Russia said the situation was a threat to regional stability, while Iran said the events showed a "coup d'etat has no place" in the region.
Is it still safe to travel to Turkey?
The British Foreign Office advises that visitors stay indoors and avoid public places, especially where protests are occurring.
Many flights in and out of Turkey have been cancelled, including those on British Airways. Turkish Airlines say they have restarted flights at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport. If you have travel plans involving Turkey, check with your airline.
No comments:
Post a Comment