More than 161 dead and 1,000 wounded in attempted military coup in Turkey

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan today denounced an attempted military coup following the deaths of 161 people and the injuries of more than 1,000 others.

Troops blocked off the Bosphorus bridge (Picture: Getty Images)

Last night, Ankara and Istanbul were hit by bombs, air strikes and gunfire as a faction of the armed forces allegedly tried to seize power. Tanks took up positions on key bridges in Istanbul, troops were on the streets and jets appeared in the skies over Ankara on Friday evening.

A faction of the army declared that a ‘peace council’ was now running the country, and that there would be a curfew and martial law. The faction then said it had launched a coup ‘to ensure and restore constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms.’

In response, President Erdogan urged the people in a televised address to take to the streets to oppose the uprising.

The Turkish parliament and presidential buildings were attacked overnight. MPs hid in shelters.

President Erdogan’s government said the coup had been ‘foiled by the Turkish people ‘in unity and solidarity.’

Some 2,839 armed forces members have been arrested and the coup is over, officials say, but this has not been confirmed.

According to The Red Crescent, 800 people are in hospital in Ankara and 200 more in Istanbul.

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