Alwaght- A Faction in the Turkish military officially declared a coup and martial law late on Friday, saying they have "taken control of the country".
In a TV statement, the army group said: "Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and the general security that was damaged. All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue."
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a phone interview on broadcaster CNNTürk that a "minority group" in the military has attempted a coup. Erdoğan said the parallel state, referring to the followers of the U.S.-based scholar Fethullah Gülen, has promoted the attempt.
"We will not leave the ground to them," he said, vowing to end the "occupation" by the group, called on nation to unite at squares and airports. Erdoğan said he would also be on the streets.
The move is not as part of the chain of command, he said. "I am the chief commander," he said.
Reports on the ground in Turkey suggest that large portions of the military have sided with Erdogan.
According to Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, top military leaders backed Mr. Erdogan and fought back against the rebel troops, triggering deadly clashes between the rival forces.
Intense gunfire was heard in the Turkish capital, Ankara, by the parliament and General Staff buildings, with massive casualties reported as police battled pro-coup military forces.
The prosecutor’s office has announced that at least 60 people were killed during the coup attempt. Earlier, it said 42 people had been killed in Ankara. In Istanbul, at least six people were killed and 150 taken to hospitals.
Soldiers have taken control of Istanbul's main Ataturk airport on Saturday with the state-run Anadolu news agency said operations at the airport were back to normal and that flights would begin again at 6.00 am (3am GMT).
The Turkish Prime Minister said early Saturday that rebel soldiers in Ankara and Istanbul are still firing from the air. Prime Minister says more than 120 arrested and "things are getting better every minute."
In the early hours of Saturday, it was still unclear who controlled the levers of power in the nation of 79 million, which a US ally accused by Syria of aiding ISIS Takfiri terrorist group in the country.
Details about which parts of the military were involved in the coup attempt were incomplete.
Officials close to Mr. Erdogan say elements of the Gendarmerie General Command and the Air Force were behind the attempted coup.
Mr. Erdogan was on vacation in southern Turkey, a government official said, and was attempting to fly to Istanbul or Ankara. Airports were closed before he could land, so he issued his statement from the plane, the official said.
