Turkey's Military Takes Over State Television, Claims Successful Coup (Update 9)

This is ominous.
By Karoli Kuns — July 15, 2016

Update 9: I've found a live stream to watch of Sky News, which is reporting live on events in Turkey. You can watch live here.

Update 8:

At this point, all indicators point to the coup being successful. Reports say Erdogan has requested asylum in Germany and been denied. As indicated by the tweet below this one, he is blaming the Gülen movement for the coup. If the name sounds familiar, it is due to the fact that they run a chain of charter schools here in the United States.

Meanwhile, other reports say Erdogan is being held in a secure location, which I suppose could be an airplane bound for nowhere.

Update 7:

Update 6: Via The New York Times, conflicting reports about who is in control and whether the coup was successful.

Update 5:

According to Bloomberg News' live blog, Erdogan is on his way to the airport in Ankara to get back to Istanbul in order to reassure everyone he is still in charge. It's hard to see how that claim holds up at this time, but there is still a lot of propaganda being spun on social media and television.

Americans in Turkey have been instructed by the US State Department to shelter in place pending further information.

Update 4:

Video of tanks rolling down the streets of Istanbul added above.

Update 3:

Update 2: Via The Hill, news that the military has taken over a state-controlled television station:

The Turkish army took over state broadcaster TRT, according to local reports. A military statement read out on Turkish TV said “to again obtain constitutional democratic human rights, we are officially managing the country,” a local journalist tweeted.

The Turkish Daily Sabah newspaper reported that Istanbul’s prosecutor’s office had immediately opened an investigation into the incident and ordered the arrest of military officers with firearms on the streets.

Update 1: Shortly after I posted this there were reports of Turkish state television going down. The military is claiming they have taken over the government. There is no outside confirmation on that, as Josh at TPM notes:

The Turkish military has reportedly sent an email announcement to journalists saying it has taken control of the state. Worth keeping in mind that that can still be more propaganda then fact, trying to make a fait accompli of a still fluid situation. But it leaves no doubt of the seriousness of the situation.

Original:

There is something happening in Turkey right now. Social media has been shut down, but there are some tweets reporting military activity in Ankara and Istanbul.

Al Jazeera:

Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge have reportedly been shut down by the Turkish army, local television channels reported, without giving a reason.

Dogan News Agency footage showed cars and buses being diverted, according to Reuters.

Reuters witnesses in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, also spotted helicopters overhead.

In the capital Ankara, gunshots were heard, as military jets and helicopters were seen flying overhead, a Reuters witness said.

Twitter:

I will update with more information as it's available.

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