An attempted coup is being staged in Turkeyas the military claims it has seized control of the country.
In the last hour gunfire was reported in the Turkish capital Ankara as military jets were seen flying overhead.
At the same time it has been reported that Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge have been closed.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said those responsible for what he described as an attempted coup by a faction within the military would pay the highest price.
He says they would not be allowed to do anything to interrupt democracy.
A coup attempt in Turkey involves a substantial part of the military and “not just a few colonels”, a European Union source said.
“It looks like a relatively well orchestrated coup by a substantial body of the military, not just a few colonels,” the source told Reuters.
“They’ve got control of the airports and are expecting control over the TV station imminently,” the source said, shortly before state television TRT broadcast a military declaration of martial law.
“They control several strategic points in Istanbul. Given the scale of the operation, it is difficult to imagine they will stop short of prevailing,” the source said.
Another European diplomat said he was attending a dinner with the Turkish ambassador in a European capital when they were interrupted by messages on their mobile phones.
“This is clearly not some tinpot little coup. The Turkish ambassador was clearly shocked and is taking it very seriously,” the diplomat told Reuters as the dinner party broke up.
Turkish security officers have been pictured detaining Turkish police officers, seen in black, in Istanbul.
Meanwhile a Turkish presidential source has insisted Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish government are still in power.
They will not tolerate attempts to undermine democracy, the source added.
State broadcaster TRT has read out a statement on orders of the military.
It said that the “democratic and secular rule of law has been eroded by current government” and added that the country was now run by a “peace council” who will “ensure safety of the population.”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan is safe, a presidential source has said, adding that the military’s statement was not authorised by the military command.
The source also urged the world to ‘stand in solidarity’ with the Turkish people.
However, there also unconfirmed reports that Erdogan has ‘fled on a private jet’.
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