Coup to overthrow government in Turkey underway, military locking down Istanbul

Update: The Turkish military has announced that they have completely seized control on the country.

A coup is under way in Turkey, as military aircraft have been seen flying over Ankara, with tanks reported in the streets and social media on lockdown.   Prime Minister Binali Yildirim denounced it as an “illegal action” by a military “group”, stressing it was not a coup, according to the BBC.

Ankara’daki jetler pic.twitter.com/iCTd5ARKVw

— Hazal Koptagel (@HazalKoptagel) July 15, 2016

According to Haaretz, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said a military coup attempt is currently underway and that military action has been taken without a clear chain of command.

Turkish soldiers block both bridges on the Bosphorus in Istanbul and jets flying low in Ankara. Reason not clear yet pic.twitter.com/tMG7KKYvGh

— Selin Girit (@selingirit) July 15, 2016

Reuters witnesses in the Istanbul report spotting both military aircraft and tanks in the vicinity. They also reported gunshots heard in the capital city of Ankara, with helicopters and fighter jets seen overhead.

Soldiers shut down the Istanbul bosphorus bridges. Looks like godzilla is coming. pic.twitter.com/LWEruUEU4q

— Cagatay Civici (@cagataycivici) July 15, 2016

Local broadcasters report that Istanbul’s bridges that span the Bosphorus -which separate the European and Asian sides of the city- have been closed to traffic. In addition, flights over the major airports appear to be delayed with long hold patterns, implying some form of disruption despite business-as-usual air traffic.

Footage shows rapid movement of military jets in #Istanbul, army deployed to streets, two main bridges closed. pic.twitter.com/k9LAr5seQK

— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) July 15, 2016

Users of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter report difficulties in using the platforms.

More details as the story develops.