'The armed forces are behind the President and our democracy'

General Umit Dundar, Turkey's army chief and acting chief of staff is currently giving a press conference.

He said that many of the army's commanders had been taken hostage and removed to unspecified locations by the coup instigators.

At least 104 soldiers participating in the coup had been killed, he said.

Most of the plotters were from the Gendarmerie, the branch of the military responsible for maintaining public order, but the Turkish Armed Forces had rejected the coup attempt, Dundar said.

"The armed forces are behind the President and our democracy. Unfortunately our parliement was also attacked... We are determined to clear our armed forces of the parallel structure. Just like a democratic state of law, our armed forces have to be under the command of the nation."