[BREAKING NEWS] Turkey Under Siege...Military Claims Takeover of Government

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A group within Turkey's military has engaged in what appeared to be an attempted coup, the prime minister said, with military jets flying over the capital and reports of vehicles blocking two major bridges in Istanbul.Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told private NTV television: "it is correct that there was an attempt," when asked if there was a coup.Yildirim didn't provide details, but said Turkey would never allow any "initiative that would interrupt democracy."

"We are focusing on the possibility of an attempt (coup)," Yildirim said. "There was an illegal act by a group within the military that was acting out of the chain of military command. Our people should know that we will not allow any activity that would harm democracy."

As I wrote in my previous post FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and YOUTUBE are blocked in Turkey but Steemit is not. Let's show the world what we're all about by getting the word out to the people of Turkey.

Here's some videos taken directly from the streets of Istanbul of suspicious Military activity. This doesn't feel good...

Since modern Turkey’s original transition to democracy since 1945, it has suffered coups in 1960, 1971, 1980, and 1997. As Wonkblog’s Matt O’Brienpointed out, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly aired his concerns about a possible military coup as little as two months ago, theWall Street Journal reported:

Turkey’s military, which has forced four civilian governments from power since 1960, is re-emerging as a pivotal actor alongside Mr. Erdogan, who has long viewed the army as a potentially dangerous adversary.Mr. Erdogan’s moves to sideline political opponents—he forced out his handpicked prime minister this month amid a power struggle—has cleared the way for Turkey’s generals to play a greater role in shaping Mr. Erdogan’s attempts to extend his global influence.

What we know

• Around 3:30 PM EST, reports began streaming in on social media of major military operations in Ankara and Istanbul.
• In Ankara, tanks rolled through city streets, planes flew overhead, and military vehicles surrounded Army HQ.
• Istanbul’s two main bridges, the Bosphorus and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet, were blocked off by soldiers. Tanks rolled in to Istanbul’s international airport:

What we don’t know

• Who the coup leaders are, exactly, inside the military.
• How much of the military is on their side versus the government’s
• What faction is currently winning the struggle for control over Turkish institutions.
• Why the coup was launched, aside from the military’s own statement.

I'm curating this information in hopes that we can showcase the power of Steemit in tragic events like this. When people are denied access to their media, Steemit can be a major player in spreading news about this event as it happens. Spread the word!