Arwa Damon is CNN's Senior International Correspondent based in Istanbul. She grew up in Turkey and has reported on the country, its people and politics for years.

Istanbul (CNN) The power of the President to call up massive crowds of supporters has been on clear display in Istanbul's Taksim Square every night since last week's failed coup.

"Work during the day, and come to the square at night" is the message put out by the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "The threat is not over."

As evening comes and the summer heat begins to ebb, the crowds start to trickle in. It becomes intensely loud each night, with the honking of horns seemingly by every passing vehicle. By the time it's dark, the square appears red, blanketed in a patchwork of Turkish flags that are handed out for free.

It appears there is a concerted effort to try to change the atmosphere of the square, even superficially, from a rallying ground for Erdogan supporters to something that stands more for the nation of Turkey itself. There are fewer political anthems lauding Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, the AKP, and more songs that are simply patriotic or popular; there are fewer banners with Erdogan's image fluttering in the breeze, more Turkish flags.

Small white tents shelter volunteers handing out food to the crowds -- many of whom are being bussed in even though public transport is free across the whole of this historic city that is the connection between Europe and Asia. Some passersby mutter that it's more like a fairground than a nation that many would expect to be in mourning with more than 200 dead in what appeared to be a section of the military trying to take power in a nighttime coup.

Voices at the microphones -- mostly AKP members and supporters -- deliver a litany of messages about Turkey's strength, not forgetting the price the nation paid. There are more sinister reminders, too, such as one man who, standing in front of a newly erected billboard with the names of the dead, held a bullet and reminded the crowd: "This on Friday could have hit anyone of you, it could have had your name on it."

It is perhaps a stark reminder of how shaky the nation is, of how for many a sense of security they had once taken for granted is more shattered than it already was, of how deeply July 15 -- despite the failure of the coup itself -- continues to unsettle this country.

Turkey has been through coups before, the successful ones of the past were bloodless. This one -- violent -- did not succeed. Part of the reason for that was because the authorities got wind of it just in time, and the attempted takeover was poorly executed. But arguably the key reason for failure was that the coup leaders did not take into account Erdogan's people power. And, one could argue, they did not take into account that, whether Turks love Erdogan or hate him, the vast majority of this country does not want to have a democratically elected government brought down in a military coup.

That night resulted in rare unity among Turkey's main political party leaders and among its population.

In the aftermath of the coup, the numbers of those detained, suspended or suspected has risen to the tens of thousands.

Erdogan's supporters have no qualms about the government's reaction. Erdogan is their man, they have unwavering faith in his abilities and they have proven they will lay down their lives for him.

Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a crowd gathered at his palace for Iftar -- the meal eaten after sunset during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan -- in Ankara, Turkey, on Monday, June 27. Hide Caption 1 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks on CNN Turk via a FaceTime call in Istanbul on Friday, July 15, after members of the country's military attempted to overthrow the government. Hide Caption 2 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan, his wife Emine, his grandchildren and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Kadir Topbas, left, greet the crowd at a presidential election rally in Istanbul on August 3, 2014. Hide Caption 3 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with Erdogan during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on December 7, 2009. Hide Caption 4 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan oversees the rescue efforts in the eastern province of Bingol on May 1, 2003, following a 6.4 magnitude earthquake that rocked the Turkish region. Hide Caption 5 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Erdogan wear helmets in Durusu village near Turkey's northern city of Samsun, on November 17, 2005, during the inauguration ceremony for the major trans-Black Sea gas pipeline Blue Stream. The pipeline runs from Russia to Turkey. Hide Caption 6 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan addresses the media after a meeting with his deputies at his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) headquarters in Ankara, Turkey, on May 1, 2007. Erdogan unveiled a reform package, including having future presidents elected by popular vote instead of by parliament. Hide Caption 7 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Erdogan and his wife Emine Erdogan, gives a David Beckham signed soccer ball to a Turkish boy during at a garden party held for her birthday at the British Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, on May 16, 2008. It was the Queen's first visit to Turkey in 37 years. Hide Caption 8 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan attends a swearing in ceremony in Ankara, Turkey, on August 28, 2014. Erdogan was sworn in as Turkey's 12th president at a ceremony in parliament, cementing his position as the country's most powerful modern leader. Hide Caption 9 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan leaves a polling booth after casting his vote in Turkey's 26th general election at a polling station in Istanbul on November 1, 2015. Hide Caption 10 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Romanian President Klaus Werner Iohannis, right, and Erdogan walk together during an official welcoming ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, March 23. Hide Caption 11 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan delivers a speech during his visit to the Turkish War Colleges Command in Istanbul on Monday, March 28. Hide Caption 12 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan, right, kicks a soccer ball while Former Turkish President Abdullah Gul watches at Besiktas soccer club's new Vodafone Arena on its opening day in Istanbul on Sunday, April 10. Hide Caption 13 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan, right, shakes hands with King Salman of Saudi Arabia after the Saudi monarch received Turkey's highest state medal during a ceremony at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on Tuesday, April 12. Hide Caption 14 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan, center, chairs the meeting of the 65th Cabinet of Turkey at the presidential complex in Ankara, Turkey, on Wednesday, May 25. Hide Caption 15 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan, seventh from the left, attends the Kinaliada Corvette Ceremony at Pendik Naval Shipyard in Istanbul on Saturday, June 18. Hide Caption 16 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Erdogan, right, attends an Iftar dinner during his visit to the Tank Battalion campus in the Cizre district of Sirnak, Turkey, on Saturday, June 25. Hide Caption 17 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan From left, U.S. President Barack Obama, France's President Francois Hollande, Erdogan and German Chancellor Angela Merkel take their positions for a photo ahead of a working dinner at the presidential palace during the NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland, on Friday, July 8. Hide Caption 18 of 19 Photos: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former Turkish president Abdullah Gul pray during the funeral of a victim of the coup attempt in Istanbul on July 17. In an interview with CNN's Beckey Anderson Erdogan said, "The people now have the idea, after so many terrorist incidents that these terrorists should be killed, that's where they are, they don't see any other outcome to it. I mean, life sentence, or aggravated life sentence... why should I keep them and feed them in prisons, for years to come, that's what the people say. So, they want a swift end to it, because people lost relatives, lost neighbours, lost children, 8-year-olds, 15-year-olds, 20-year-old young people, unfortunately have all been killed during these incidents. Of course they have parents, mothers and fathers, that are morning, they're suffering so the people are very sensitive and we have to act very sensibly and sensitively." Hide Caption 19 of 19

But for his opponents, the fear is that it's the start of a more sinister era of what they call Erdogan's authoritarian rule, an opportunity to crack down further on any voice of dissent, an opening to push through constitutional and other changes that would give him greater powers.

On Wednesday, Erdogan announced a three-month state of emergency to protect Turkey's freedom and democracy, saying Turkey will work to cleanse the "viruses" within the armed forces and other groups.

"It started as a reaction to the coup," a woman getting her roots done chatted to a salon owner earlier in the day. "But now it's becoming something else," she said, touching on those fears of more authoritarianism, before the focus returned to the business of the salon.

Away from the nightly Taksim Square celebrations there is a sense that people are merely going through the motions of daily life as if in a daze, conversations that invariably drift toward recent developments tend to still be preceded with "can you believe ... "

There is a general incredulity, with the weight of what happened only just beginning to sink in.

My neighborhood acquaintances -- grocer, building manager, gym staff -- respond to the usual "How are you?" with a dejected shrug at best.

A colleague joked that she would have to postpone her family holiday because her husband works for the state and is facing newly imposed blanket travel restrictions.

She is among those trying to put on a brave face, finding the cynical dark humor that helps some through dire circumstances.

Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Police try to stop people from attacking a judge, suspected in the failed coup plot, in Erzurum, Turkey on Tuesday, July 19. Turkey has fired or suspended about 50,000 people as the government intensifies a crackdown following last weekend's failed coup attempt. Teachers, journalists, police and judges have been affected. Hide Caption 1 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Police escort Turkish soldiers, accused of taking part in the attempted coup, as they leave a courthouse in Istanbul's Bakirkoy neighborhood on Saturday, July 16. Hide Caption 2 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish police officers cover the eyes of soldiers as they are transported in a bus from the courthouse in Istanbul on July 16. Hide Caption 3 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Akin Ozturk, front row, center, a four-star general and former commander of the Turkish air force, is among those in police custody whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government has accused of having led the failed coup attempt. Hide Caption 4 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey In a mass detention in Ankara, dozens of detainees are forced to kneel, partially stripped. Hide Caption 5 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A man waves a Turkish flag from a car roof during a July 16 march around Kizilay Square in Ankara after the attempted military coup. Hide Caption 6 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Damaged vehicles are abundant outside the presidential palace in Ankara on July 16. Hide Caption 7 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People kick and beat a Turkish soldier suspected in the attempted coup on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge on July 16. Hide Caption 8 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Women react after people took over a military position on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. Hide Caption 9 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People gather outside the Turkish Parliament in Ankara during an extraordinary session after the failed coup attempt. Hide Caption 10 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkey Prime Minister Binali Yildirim addresses the Turkish Parliament after the failed coup attempt. Hide Caption 11 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A protester rests on a bench as smoke billows from the Turkish military headquarters in Ankara. Hide Caption 12 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People stand under a huge Turkish flag during a march around Kizilay Square in Ankara in reaction to the attempted coup. Hide Caption 13 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Members of the Turkish military surrender on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge on after a failed coup attempt. Hide Caption 14 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People protesting against the coup wave a Turkish flag on top of a monument in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Hide Caption 15 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Clothes and weapons belonging to soldiers involved in the coup attempt are scattered on Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. Hide Caption 16 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A Turkish police officer in Istanbul embraces a man on a tank in the wake of the violence overnight. Hide Caption 17 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Smoke billows from the direction of the Presidential Palace in Ankara on July 16. Hide Caption 18 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People gather on top of a Turkish military tank in Ankara in the morning after the coup attempt. National intelligence officials said the coup was put down and that the government remains in control. Hide Caption 19 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish people wave national flags from a car in Istanbul. Hide Caption 20 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People gather around a car damaged by a tank in Kizilay Square early on July 16. Hide Caption 21 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People take to the streets near the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge during clashes with military forces in Istanbul. Hide Caption 22 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People escape the clashes in Ankara early Saturday. Hide Caption 23 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Tanks move into position as Turkish citizens attempt to stop them in Ankara. Hide Caption 24 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Citizens in Sivas rush to the streets during the chaotic coup attempt. Hide Caption 25 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A man approaches Turkish military with his hands up at the entrance to the partially closed Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul. Hide Caption 26 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A wounded man is given medical care at the entrance to the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul after clashes with Turkish military. Hide Caption 27 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People react in front of the Justice and Development Party's headquarters in Karabuk. Hide Caption 28 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Soldiers secure an area as supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Hide Caption 29 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish military members make their way through the streets of Istanbul. Hide Caption 30 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in front of soldiers in Istanbul's Taksim Square. Hide Caption 31 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks on CNN Turk via a FaceTime call in Istanbul after members of the country's military attempted to overthrow the government. Hide Caption 32 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's iconic Bosphorus Bridge.

Hide Caption 33 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish security officers detain police officers, seen in black, in Istanbul, during a security shutdown on the Bosphorus Bridge. Hide Caption 34 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A military airplane is seen flying over Turkey. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged people to take to the streets and stand up to the military. Hide Caption 35 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey People take cover near the Bosphorus Bridge as military airplanes fly overhead. Hide Caption 36 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish soldiers are seen on the Asian side of Istanbul.

Hide Caption 37 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey A Turkish security officer stands guard on the side of the road. Hide Caption 38 of 39 Photos: Failed military coup in Turkey Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge. Hide Caption 39 of 39

But the events of July 15 cut deep. So deep that some are even having serious conversations about moving away, checking out jobs in Italy, sussing out real estate in Greece, or at the very least trying to put together a plan B.

This is not a nation displaying its resilience in the face of a terrorist attack, as Turks have done in the past. This is not a nation that can bury the dead and try to move on. This is a nation in uncharted territory.

Hulya Gedik, a young woman, could not hold back her tears when we met at one of the mass funerals over the weekend.

"Every bit of news we got that night (July 15), every explosion was not something that was just happening outside," she explained. "It was as if each one tore our soul apart."