Our correspondent in Ankara has provided us insider information as to what is happening in the capital of the country, which has recently proclaimed martial law and is in the midst of an alleged military coup.
Turkey Correspondent of The Pavlovic Today reporting on Turkey Coup LIVE from Ankara:
Our correspondent in Ankara has provided us insider information as to what is happening in the capital of the country, which has recently proclaimed martial law and is in the midst of a military coup.
Ankara, although not as crowded as Istanbul, is the capital of the nation. It houses Parliament, and all political offices, and is the military centre. There is a significant battle going on everywhere. “I am not near Parliament, but I can hear the F16’s buzzing around”, said our correspondent.
They hit parliament. It passed…right above our house. They hit parliament. We really don’t know what’s happening. If this was a fake coup, where Erdogan was attempting to regain some power through a ‘fake coup’, which everyone seemed to believe, especially the opposition, it would not have escalated this much.
Turkey Coup: Go out and defend your country in the name of Allah
Amidst the chaos, the mosques controlled by the government have taken to the streets, asking people to go out into the streets to protest the coup attempt. Phrases like “go out and defend your country in the name of Allah. This is jihad,” are some reports of propaganda being used. Followers are swarming in the streets, and have been for hours, many now chanting the President’s name.
Rumours are spreading that there is open fire in Istanbul, as forces meet to contest power over the nation. The government continues to urge people to protest the military, saying “stay in the streets”, in an attempt to regain control over the now-abuzz nation.
For now, the government is claiming they have the situation under control
The president Erdogan who made an appearance on national television over Facetime, remained calm and claimed that this was not a successful coup, and the perpetrators, would face serious consequences. The government, through the news channels, continues to state that it is not the fault of the entire military, only a small faction is carrying out the coupe. The government has been saying, “this is not organized by the honourable Turkish Military”, which again deescalates the situation, but eye witness stories paint a different picture.
“They hit the parliament, it was confirmed on TV. I heard the bombing and felt the vibrations. There’s constant bombing, F16s everywhere.”
Turkey Coup and Social Media
The national news channel has been out for a few hours after their offices were raided by the military. Most, if not all, the communication coming out of Turkey is through citizens who have found access to social media through VPN servers. Although it remains difficult to find a stable connection, social media is providing a transparency into this conflict that could not be accomplished though a different medium.
Now, all the news channels are saying that the fight is over and under control, and that ‘democracy’ won. Yet, our correspondent says he can still hear gunfire in capital of Ankara, leading many to wonder whether the coup is as small-scale as the government is trying to make the Turkish people believe.
There is still a few jets and helicopters up in the air, but it appears at this point that the main problem has been solved. The government is saying they will shoot down the jets and helicopters, but if they do shoot down the military-controlled planes and airfare, there is no telling where they will land.
It is entirely possible that in taking down these crafts, the government will unintentionally destroy parts of the cities. There is also a passenger plane flying from Kuala Lampur passing through the region, there is no telling what will happen.
Our correspondent updates us as we compile information, saying, “there is still an F16 up in the air, I am not sure if it is bombing because they go over the speed of sound and that makes an explosion sound.”
ATM machines are flooded and chaos has taken over the cities. With limited connection to the outside world and mixed information spewing from the government and military, the only consolation now is that this conflict is not long lived and ends peacefully before any civilians are injured.
9:24 pm. Our correspondent in Ankara says that the he has just heard a new big explosion…it could be one of the gates of the parliament but it is not yet confirmed
9:32 pm Erdogan said he does not know where the head of the military is but it is assumed that he did not organize this
9: 42 pm There are a few F16s in the air. The Prime Minister is saying : “we will do whatever necessary to bring them down.” They’re telling people to stay in the streets, so if they shoot those F16s down, they are going to kill, possibly, thousands of civilians.
We will continue to keep you updated as events unfold in Turkey.
At @PavlovicToday, we strive to remain objective and committed to reporting with integrity. We will continue to cover Turkey Coup in this respect…Our Turkish correspondents have, despite the chaos in their country, reported and sent notes on this crisis with utmost courage…