Turkey claims all navy ships 'accounted for' amid reports of 14 on run

Turkey's presidential office has denied claims that 14 Turkish navy ships are at sea and unaccounted for amid reports their commanders were conspirators in a failed coup.

According to a report in the The Times newspaper on Tuesday, Veysel Kosele, the admiral in command of the Turkish navy, has been out of contact since Friday night’s attempted putsch. 

It is not known whether Kosele is part of the plot or whether he was being held hostage by collaborators.

However, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Tuesday afternoon that there was "nothing missing... all boats, planes, tanks - everything accounted for. A few rebel soldiers are still on run".

The Times report said the ships, which include corvettes and at least one frigate, were on duty in either the Aegean or the Black Sea on Friday. They have all failed to make contact with naval headquarters since.

The silence of those missing has prompted speculation that some vessels may head to Greek ports after eight Turkish military officers sought asylum in Greece after arriving by helicopter on Saturday.

And despite the presidential office's statement, the whereabouts of Kosele remains unknown. Kalin did not comment on his whereabouts.

According to uncomfirmed reports in the Turkish media, Kosele was tricked onto his ship by those coup plotters, who told him that a terrorist attack was taking place.

The report did not name the ships. A study of Turkish warship callsigns on marinetraffic.com showed the TCG Goksu (F497), off the coast of Siciliy, the TCG Turgutreis (F241) off the coast of Gibraltar, and TCG Kemalreis (F247), off Tangiers.

There is no suggestions these vessels were among the reported 'renegade' ships.

Other naval warships ships listed on marinetraffic including the Buyukada (F512), the Gemlik, the Isin, the Orucreis, were all listed either at port or near Turkish waters.