Turkey: attempted military coup was 'treason', says President Erdogan

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Turkish military in attempted coup

Analysis: Erdogan cannot blame the military this time

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's repressive rule was tempting fate

The Turkish flag over Istanbul.Credit: Chris McGrath

Al-Jazeera is quoting a senior Turkish official saying a total of 1,563 military officers have been detained across Turkey.

A fascinating read from Paul McGeough here on the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by President Erdogan for inciting the attempted coup.

"Here's the Gulen line – Erdogan had stage managed the whole coup crisis as a pretext to impose martial law, under which he could ram through sweeping constitutional changes that might legally, if not morally, legitimise his bid to consolidate great power in his presidential office."

Read more.

Turkish Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen at his home in the US in 2013. (AP Photo/Selahattin Sevi, File)Credit: Selahattin Sevi

The US is calling on all parties in Turkey to support President Tayyip Erdogan's government, Reuters reports.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone and gave their support to Erdogan after Turkey's military said it had seized power last night.

"The President and Secretary agreed all parties in Turkey should support the democratically-elected government of Turkey, show restraint, and avoid any violence or bloodshed," the White House said in a statement.

Erdogan has ruled Turkey since 2003 and if the coup against him was successful it would have been one of the biggest shifts in the Middle East in years.

Despite their unease about President Erdogan's increasing authoritarianism, there is a reason western powers have rushed to confirm their support for his regime. Turkey is crucial in the fight against Islamic State, or Daesh. With 75 million people, Turkey has NATO's second largest army (after the US) and is a significant economy. It's also the Middle East's oldest democracy, and has helped stabilise the troubled region for decades.

Turkey hosts key US and NATO bases, including Incirlik Air Base, from which US fighters and drones launch against Islamic State targets in Syria, and a CIA base where the US supports Syrian moderates. It also hosts an early warning radar for NATO's European missile defense system. Apart from a general principle of supporting democracies, however flawed, more instability in the region sparked by a military takeover is the last thing western powers want.

"The key point is, the (Obama) administration would always support a democratically elected government in this situation," Matthew Bryza, a former U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan and a former senior White House adviser on Turkey told Reuters.

From left: Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, U.S. President Barack Obama during the G-20 summit, in Antalya, Turkey, Sunday, November 15, 2015. Credit: Berk Ozkan

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has called for calm and restraint in Turkey after an attempted coup that experts warn could distract from the fight against Islamic State terrorists.

Mr Turnbull said Australia supports President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's democratically-elected government and is calling on all sides to show respect for the country's democratic institutions.

"The attempted coup in Turkey this morning is of great concern," he said in a statement posted to Facebook on Saturday.

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- President Erdogan and Prime Minister Yildirim have declared the government is in control

- The Turkish government is blaming a "clique" in the armed forces for the failed coup

- 60 dead, 800 wounded in Ankara and 200 in Istanbul according to the Red Crescent

- 754 members of army detained, including 5 generals and 29 colonels

- Extraordinary meeting of Turkish parliament later today

The Turkish Red Crescent says there are about 800 people wounded in Ankara, and 200 in Istanbul following the night's violence.

Turkish news agency Anadolu is reporting that 754 Turkish army personnel linked to the coup have been detained. Of these, reportedly 5 generals and 29 colonels have been suspended by Turkey's Interior Minister.

Speaking on Turkey's state news channel TRT, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said an extraordinary meeting of the Turkish Parliament will convene at 2pm local time.

"Parliament, the voice of national will, will give the necessary response," he said, thanking opposition leaders who took a stand against the coup. But he urged people to stay in the streets.

​"I also thank our citizens. However, our citizens should not leave the squares. Those who wake up at home should go to squares, do not leave the squares empty," Yildirim said.

People gather on top of a Turkish army tank at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul.Credit: Getty Images

The Turkish embassy in Canberra has just issued a statement:

"The situation unfolded [sic] in Turkey was a coup attempt to overthrow the democratically-elected government. This attempt was foiled by the Turkish people in unity and solidarity. Our President and Government are in charge. Turkish Armed Forces was not involved in the coup attempt in its entirety. It was conducted by a clique within the Armed Forces and received a well-deserved response from our nation."

Members of Melbourne's Turkish community meet outside Broadmeadows Library in Melbourne, in support of Turkey's president after a failed coup attempt in Turkey. Melbourne, Saturday July 16, 2016. Photo: Luis AscuiCredit: Luis Ascui