Home NEWS WORLD NEWS Syrian opposition has congratulated the Turkish people for halting an attempted military coup – Latest on Turkey

Syrian opposition has congratulated the Turkish people for halting an attempted military coup – Latest on Turkey

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Syrian opposition has congratulated the Turkish people for halting an attempted military coup – Latest on Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The Latest on the attempted military coup in Turkey (all times local):
11:55 a.m.
Turkey’s Anadolu Agency is reporting that soldiers who have taken over the Chief of General Staff Headquarters as part of an attempted coup have requested negotiations to surrender.
According to a Turkish official at the presidency, that is the last base the coup supporters hold.
Turkey has announced that more than 1,500 soldiers have been arrested in the coup attempt overnight.
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11:50 a.m.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier is condemning the coup attempt in Turkey, calling on all parties to respect democratic order and avoid further bloodshed.
Steinmeier said in a statement Saturday that Germany is “deeply concerned” about the developments overnight.
He says he condemns “any attempts to change the democratic order in Turkey by force.”
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11:45 a.m.
British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson says he has spoken to his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, to underline support for Turkey’s “democratic elected government and institutions” after an overnight coup attempt.
The Foreign Office is advising Britons in Turkey to “stay indoors, avoid public places, in particular demonstrations, and remain vigilant.”
It says “the situation now appears quieter in Istanbul, and the bridges across the Bosphorus are reopening. But there are reports of tank fire and small arms fire in Ankara.”
British Airways says it is canceling all flights to and from Turkey on Saturday, but budget airline easyJet says it plans to run its scheduled flights, largely to Turkish resort towns.
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11:30 a.m.
Turkey’s acting chief of the general staff says 1,563 soldiers have been arrested in the attempted military coup overnight.
The newly appointed Gen. Umit Dundar says those who took part in the betrayal will not go unpunished.
He says those who “sided with democracy and the rule of law” thwarted the attempt.
Dundar says Turkey’s military is determined to purge members of the movement of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who is living in exile in Pennsylvania, from the ranks.
“Our people should have no concern, that the era of coups and juntas have come to a close, never to be opened again,” Dundar says.
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11:20
Gen. Umit Dundar, the newly appointed acting chief of the general staff, said more than 190 people died in clashes: 41 police officers, two soldiers, 47 civilians and 104 people described as “coup plotters.”
Dundar said officers from the Air Force, the military police and the armored units were mainly involved in the attempt.
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10:35 a.m.
The exiled Syrian opposition has congratulated the Turkish people for halting an attempted military coup.
The Turkey-based Syrian National Coalition says in a statement that Turkey has protected its democratic institutions “in the face of dark and desperate attempts that sought to take control of the popular will.”
It says the Turkish people value democracy and “will not let a group of putschists take it away in a desperate attempt to restore military rule.”
Turkey has been one of the main backers of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad and is hosting some 2.7 million Syrian refugees.
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10:05 a.m.
Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, is seeking to contact his Turkish counterpart Saturday morning from Kabul, Afghanistan.
That’s according to Dunford’s spokesman, Navy Capt. Gregory Hicks.
Dunford is in Afghanistan to meet with U.S. and Afghan troops and commanders. He compressed his schedule Saturday in order to be available for consultations with Washington about the situation in Turkey, which has troops in Afghanistan as part of the U.S.-led coalition.