LIVE BLOG: Coup attempt in Turkey
In summary:
- Government says attempted coup by group within military has failed
- Turkish parliament holds extraordinary session on Saturday morning
- 2,839 rebel soldiers arrested across Turkey, official says
- At least 265 people killed, including rebel soldiers and civilians
- Turkish Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar rescued in operation at Akinci air base
- Soldiers opened fire on protesters on Istanbul's Bosphorus bridges, but later surrendered
- Officials say coup was instigated by a group within military, rather than the military itself
- President Erdogan ordered supporters on streets in TV address made via iPhone
- Erdogan says coup attempt is 'treason', and tells supporters to remain on streets
- US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen denies any role in Turkish coup plot.
Live Updates
- Eight military personnel have sought asylum in the Northen Greek Town of Alexandoupolis
- They have removed all insignia from their uniforms thus making it impossible to know their ranks
- Greek officials are in contact with the Turkish embassy
- Turkish officials have called on Greece to extrade the eight men seeking asylum
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has called on Greece to extradite the eight men requesting asylum. According to Greek media outlets, the men landed in Greece this morning on board a Turkish helicopter and may be connected to the failed coup attempt.
Intelligence Chief Hakan Fidan meanwhile has said that operations are now complete, with other planned operations scheduled to take a few more hours to complete.
AFP have reported a Turkish military helicopter landing in Greece where eight men allegedly connected to the failed coup attempt have requested asylum
Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan called on Turks to remain on the streets, after mass civilian protests overnight helped foil a military faction's coup attempt to bring him down.
Erdogan in a message on Twitter called on citizens to fill public spaces with Turkish flags to 'celebrate' its democracy.
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PM Yildrim said:
- Turkey to consider legal change to permit death penalty for military involved in failed coup
- 2639 military personnel have been arrested
- 161 people dead excluding the 104 dead from the coup plotters.
- Attempts have been made to extradite Gulen from the United States
- President Erdogan is on his way back to Ankara
Turkish citizens received a text "from" Erdogan early this morning calling on Turks "to take to the streets" to stand up for democracy. Erdogan also made similar calls himself on live TV via FaceTime.
Turkish state news agency Anadolu have released images of Turkish soldiers involved in yesterdays attempted coup being arrested and stripped down.
Prime Minister Yildrim commends the press for standing with the government and 'the nation' and 'democracy. Praising the press for continuing to broadcast information to the people and political parties for overcoming political divide to support the government.
Speaking live on Turkish state TV Prime Minister Yildrim said:
"Friday evening is a stain on Turkish Democracy. Congratualte and kiss every citizen who stood up to this parallel state (Gulen) coup attempt.
This uprising had nothing to do with the command structure of the armed forces.
It was an uprising by the Terrorist Parallel state. I congratulate our brave commanders and officers.
In addition I would like to thank all our citizens, NGOS and the political parties who stood for our democracy. 
MEE's Suraj Sharma who is in Istanbul said the following:
"The main fight appears to be in the military headquarters in Ankara which appears to be the key stronghold for the coup plotters. Based on reports from various sources it seems that the army was not united and only certain sections was supportive of this coup. The acting chief of staff has also said that key commanders who were against the coup have been held hostage by the coup plotters with their whereabouts unkown"
MEE's Suraj Sharma:
"Reports emerging of airspace over Istanbul and the Marmara region where Erdogan was last night is being ordered to be shut down. The shut down means a block on all air traffic across these cities and regions, meaning key airports which form as hubs for Turkey are currently not in operation."