265 people are dead and thousands more have been detained and arrested as the Turkish government after a faction within the Turkish army attempted to take control of the country on Friday, rolling tanks onto the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, blocking off the key bridge over the Bosphorus, and flying fighter jets low over urban areas. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who had been urging the Turkish people to take to the streets and reject the military coup for much of the evening, was able to land in Istanbul late on Saturday morning. He and his representatives now say that the government is fully in control.
Footage of young coup soldiers being rounded up by civilians and police. They look terrified. pic.twitter.com/nZKpIhVSXc
— reported.ly (@reportedly) July 16, 2016
Erdoğan has blamed the coup on Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdoğan’s who is currently living in exile in Pennsylvania. But Gulen categorically denied being behind the plot, releasing a statement that read, “As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations.” Regardless of who is behind the coup, Erdoğan appears to be using it to crack down on members of the opposition and further centralize power in Turkey.