Turkey: 166 killed, 1440 wounded, 2839 coup plotters arrested
Turkish citizens retake their country from coup plotters.
No less than 166 people were killed after a “faction” of Turkish military reportedly failed to depose a democratically elected government, the country’s leader says.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was chilling at a seaside resort when the military announced it had taken over the government.
Hours later, the coup apparently failed as Erdogan — himself known for suppressing free speech on social media — used FaceTime to call on citizens to reclaim their country.
Forces loyal to the president then battled “dissident” soldiers in Ankara. The clashes reportedly claimed lots of lives.
On the streets of Turkey, civilians teamed up with the police to arrest soldiers who were obviously under orders from suspected coup leaders.
Most of the soldiers didn’t resist as “ordinary” men and women beat them up, seized their loaded guns and detained them.
One picture shared on social media showed a stick-weilding grandma defending Turkey’s democracy against the coup plotters.
The number of civilians killed in attempts to “take back our country” is unclear at the moment.
At least 1440 people were reportedly injured.
Erdogan said no less than 2,839 coup plotters are now being detained.
The president, who reportedly granted immunity to the military days before the coup, said they would face “severe punishment.”
.
