The streets of Turkey's major cities were in chaos early Saturday as thousands of pro-government demonstrators protested an ongoing coup involving units of the country's military.
The military claimed to have seized power from the government led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but the government's National intelligence said the coup has failed.
Many protesters descend on the areas where military vehicles were positioned, including two bridges leading from the European side of Istanbul to the Asian side. Some soldiers were greeted by people who jumped on their tanks, while others got hugs from supporters.
A Turkish fighter jet shot down a helicopter that had been commandeered by "coup plotters," a Turkish presidential source told CNN. Reports also said that there were gunfires.
The president addressed the country, urged citizens to take to the squares of the capital of Ankara and Instanbul.
According to an anchor on state broadcaster TRT, the military imposed martial law.
The coup began when soldiers started blocking two bridges in Istanbul between the European and Asian sides.
Video from the country still continues to show confrontations between military forces and street demonstrators. Though, Rinuh Yilmazm press officer to the National Intelligence Organization, told CNN Turk that "the coup is defeated."
Source: CNN NBC News
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