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Turkey quells coup bid, nearly 200 dead
Turkey’s government defeated a coup attempt by a renegade faction of the military, restoring control on Saturday to the major cities after a night of chaos and clashes that killed nearly 200 and has plunged the already troubled country into uncertainty.
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Istanbul
More than 100 coup plotters are now dead, acting military chief Gen. Umit Dundar said on live TV, while another 90 people — including 47 civilians — were killed as ordinary Turks poured into the streets to confront tanks amid pitched battles in the main cities.
Forces loyal to Turkey’s government fought on Saturday to crush the last remnants of a military coup attempt which collapsed after crowds answered President Tayyip Erdogan’s call to take to the streets and dozens of rebels abandoned their tanks. By morning, government forces had closed in on the army headquarters in Ankara, the final stronghold of coup plotters, said a senior Turkish official who added that 1,563 members of the military have been arrested so far.
Erdogan accused the coup plotters of trying to kill him and launched a purge of the armed forces, which last used force to stage a successful coup more than 30 years ago.
Regional rival Iran expresses support for Turkey
Iran, Turkey’s neighbour and regional rival, said on Saturday it fully supported the Turkish government against an attempted military coup and expressed concern about its implications.
President Hassan Rouhani chaired a meeting of the National Security Council on Saturday to discuss the latest developments in Turkey, where loyalist troops were fighting to crush the remnants of a coup attempt launched on Friday night.
“We support Turkey’s legal government and oppose any type of coup — either initiated domestically or supported by foreigners,” National Security Council secretary Ali Shamkhani said after the meeting, quoted by state news agency IRNA. Iran, a Shi’ite Muslim nation, has long been a regional rival of Sunni majority Turkey.
World leaders speak out
- The democratic order in Turkey must be respected. Everything needs to be done to protect human lives. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor
- Stability, democracy and safety of Turkish people are paramount. Unity and prudence are imperative. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran Foreign Minister
- The United States views with gravest concern as events are unfolding in Turkey. We believe that all parties should support the democratically elected government. John Kerry, US Secretary of State
- Problems in Turkey need to be resolved in accordance with the constitution. Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister
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