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Turkeys Military Says It Has Taken Over The Country

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Saagar Enjeti
July 15, 2016 4:40 PM ET

The Turkish Military said it has taken over the country from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The military said it would honor all existing foreign relations and that the rule of law must remain.

The military has also taken over the State Broadcasting service and has declared Turkey “is now run by Peace Council,” which will ensure the safety of the population. The military cited increasing autocratic rule by Erdogan and increased terrorism for its power seizure.

Erdogan has been reported safe but some hostages were taken at Turkish military headquarters. Istanbul’s Ataturk airport has cancelled all flights. The head of the Turkish Armed Services has been taken hostage at the chief of staff headquarters.

Reports indicate all social media inside Turkey has been blacked out.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told reporters there is an attempted military coup underway in Turkey and that those responsible “will pay the highest price.”

“Some people illegally undertook an illegal action outside of the chain of command,” Yildirim told NTV on Friday. “The government elected by the people remains in charge. This government will only go when the people say so.”

Reuters’ reports indicate Istanbul’s largest bridges across the Bosphorous, the Istanbul Bridge and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge are closed by elements of the Turkish military.

A video on twitter showed an F-16 flying abnormally low over the Turkish capital of Ankara.

A large explosion was heard at Turkish state broadcaster TRT headquarters in Ankara, according to the Associated Press.

Russian outlet RT reported a video shows a Turkish military helicopter firing on Turkish State Broadcasting Headquarters TRT.

Turkey’s official police department’s twitter called on Turkish citizens to take to the streets and protest the coup against Erdogan.

Developing …

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