As an attempted government coup unfolds in Turkey, the president has given a statement to a local TV network via FaceTime.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to CNN Turk and national network NTV via Apple's iPhone video call service and called on his supporters to take to the streets.
SEE ALSO: Facebook, Twitter and YouTube blacked out in Turkey amid attempted coup"I urge the Turkish people to convene at public squares and airports. There is no power higher than the power of the people," Erdogan said on Friday, according to New York Timesjournalist Ceylan Yeginsu, who is reporting from Istanbul. "The chain of command has been violated. This is a step against the higher ranks by their superiors."
Erdogan giving a statement via FaceTime held up on live TV - what a time to be alive pic.twitter.com/aHCRNPnsQa
— NorthCaucasus Caucus (@NCaucasusCaucus) July 15, 2016
Erdogan making a statement on facetime right now. pic.twitter.com/F1Nip0C01V
— Ceylan Yeginsu (@CeylanWrites) July 15, 2016
BREAKING Turkish President Erdoğan blames #Gulenist network & calls on public to go to public squares and airports. pic.twitter.com/vmQlYLyv35
— CNN Türk ENG (@CNNTURK_ENG) July 15, 2016
Erdogan also released a statement on Twitter, calling on people to go out into squares and Ataturk Airport to show support. The military instead warned people to stay inside their homes.
Milletimizi demokrasimize ve milli iradeye sahip çıkmak üzere meydanlara, havalimanlarına davet ediyorum.
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RT_Erdogan) July 15, 2016
It is a strange move for a man who runs a government that is known to block social media sites at times of uncertainty in the country. On Friday, as news of the attempted coup broke across social media, reports surfaced that Facebook, YouTube and Twitter had been blacked out in the country. It's unclear who in power had blocked social media sites as reported nor if Erdogan knew of the play, particularly as he took to Twitter to make a statement.
On Friday evening, reports emerged the city of Istanbul and the capital of Ankara had been closed down by military personnel. Tanks were driving through the streets as two major bridges across the Bosphorus, a natural strait, in Istanbul were shut by armed forces. There were also reports of military jets flying above the capital.
Turkey's armed forces released a statement saying they had "fully seized control" of Turkey, while Erdogan claimed it was still an "attempted" coup.
Soldiers blocked entry to Ataturk Airport where four tanks were stationed, according to the private Dogan news agency. Two other tanks and a military vehicle were stationed in front of the VIP terminal. The report said the soldiers had entered the tower and stopped all flights.
The military said it seized control "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated."
-- Additional reporting by Associated Press.
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