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Crowds answered to President Tayyip Erdogan’s call to take to the streets in support of the Government. He delivered a speech in the Turkish capital of Istanbul, flanked by armed body guards. It comes after intelligence sources revealed the Turkish troops taking part in an orchestrated military coup had taken over a frigate and captured the head of the Turkish fleet. A Greek military source said anti-Erdogan soldiers have borded the frigate at the country's Golcuk naval base and have taken the head of the fleet hostage - believed to be Admiral Bülent Bostanoglu. Moments later President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent a text message to all Turkish people calling on them to take to the streets once more against a "narrow cadre", suggesting the coup attempt is not yet over. The developments come after Turkey's EU minister, Omer Celik, said the coup was "90 per cent over" and President Erdogan returned to Istanbul to address his supporters. The country's ruling party has already said it could bring back the death penalty to punish the instigators of a military coup that left 265 people dead and nearly 1,500 injured. Government authorities have arrested 2,839 plotters including 100 military officers at an air base in Diyarbakir in the south east of the country. Turkish PM Binali Yildirim vowed to bring in new "legal measures" to ensure that such an uprising can never happen again after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made a triumphant return to Istanbul this morning. And Erdogan himself added: "They will pay a heavy price for this. This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army." The whereabouts of the usually all-powerful Erdogan had been the subject of much speculation overnight, with US government sources saying he had flown to Germany on a private jet as soon as the coup begun only to be denied asylum. It is believed the tinpot leader had then attepted to reroute to Britain to try his luck here before being told it was safe to return to Ankara, where he made a crowing victoy speech.

REUTERS Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan makes a speech protected by bodyguards in Istanbul,

During the night he gave a bizarre interview via FaceTim on his iPhone urging people to take to the streets. Sources have revealed that Erdogan had become increasingly paranoid about the possibility of a coup in recent months and had rehearsed extensive plans to get him safely out of the country. This morning prime minister Binali Yildirim, who appeared before the cameras to declare the coup over and pledge a huge purge of the country's military. Addressing the media this morning Yildirim said that the coup is virtually over, adding that 2,839 members of the military from "all ranks" have now been detained. He added that a further 104 plotters were killed in clashes last night alongside 161 civilians and police officers, taking the total death toll to 265. And he pledged to kneecap the military for good to ensure such a coup can never happen again, calling the uprising a "terrorist" act and saying the plotters were worse than the Kurdish separatist PKK party. He said: "This is a black stain on Turkey's democracy. This nation will never forget these people who committed treason." Asked if he would bring back the death penalty for the plotters, he replied that capital punishment is against Turkey's constitution but added that the Government will bring in "legal changes" to prevent future coup attempts.

GETTY Civilians celebrate as the military coup looks to have failed

REUTERS Turkish PM Yildirim addressed the media this morning

Earlier a Turkish government insider told Express.co.uk that the attempted revolution has been quashed and more than 330 coup supporters have been arrested. Zeynap Jane Kandur, who works for Turkey's ruling party AKP in Istanbul, said "it's safe to say the coup is over" after thousands of people risked their lives by taking to the streets to block tanks from siezing control of Istanbul and Ankara to "protect their democracy". But bombs fired by revolutionary forces are still raining down onto the parliament building in Ankara, according to Reuters reports, and witnesses say a military helicopter fired on civilians during the height of the coup. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan branded the coup an act of "treason" and vowed to "harshly punish" those responsible, saying: "The ring leader who plotted all of this will pay the price in front of the nation.” He called the coup "a gift from God" because it will now allow him to purge the military of "members of this gang". The Istanbul Police Chief has now said only 104 soldiers were involved in the coup and the ringleader has been named as Col Muharrem Kose, a former member of the Turkish Armed Forces.



Overnight the death toll rose to 90 with 1,154 people wounded while some 1,563 soldiers have been arrested, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The 62-year-old President claims he narrowly escaped death when the hotel he was staying in in the coastal city of marmaris was hit by a bomb. At around 11pm local time shots were fired in the capital Ankara, where helicopters and military jets were flying overhead. Military vehicles blocked arterial roads around Ankara and stormed the buildings of major media outlets, including CNN. Some 17 police died when a military aircraft was shot down.

GETTY The police force appears to have regained control of the vast majority of territory around Ankara

GETTY Crowds of people desperately ran for cover as helicopters and fighter jets circled above

Tanks are also said to have opened fire on the presidential building, while the parliament has been rocked by up to three bombs. A member of government said ministers were hiding in bunkers within the parliamentary building. Reports also suggest there has been a major explosion in the city while witnesses said missiles had been fired at the TRT media offices. Both of Istanbul's bridges across the Bosphorus, the strait separating the European and Asian sides of the city, have been closed to traffic. Tanks also surrounded the entrance to Istanbul's Ataturk International Airport, where gunfire has been heard, but it is understood the government is now in control of the airport. Flights in and out of the country are expected to resume in the coming hours after all Turkish airports were temporarily closed during the coup, sparking fears among British tourists that they would be trapped in the country. But in an astonishing interview by Skype, a desperate President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the public to take to the streets in response. He said: "Let's gather together. They can come with tanks but they are no more powerful than the people. "We can show the tanks how powerful we are."

REUTERS Turkish military have overrun the country's government

PH Erdogan spoke to journalists via Skype

Ankara'da az önce canlı yayında olanlar; pic.twitter.com/0lIaEqAxgs — Aydın Cingöz (@AydinCingoz) July 15, 2016

REUTERS Reports say hostages have been taken and TV stations stormed

REUTERS The military claimed it had taken control

Pro-coup troops taken out of Sakarya Governorate by the people of the city pic.twitter.com/Ngj22sV6on -Similar videos shared from across Turkey — Mehmet Solmaz (@MhmtSlmz) July 15, 2016

He later appeared at Ataturk airport where he appeared in front of supporters and said those involved in the uprising would get the necessary response. The armed forces said they had taken power in the country to protect the democratic order and to maintain human rights. In a statement sent by email and reported on Turkish TV channels, the military said all of Turkey's existing foreign relations would be maintained and that the rule of law would remain the priority. Military officials said the country was now run by a 'peace council'. They claim secular rule had been eroded by the current government. Istanbul's Taksim Square has also been hit by blasts. However, there also claims tens of Turkish soldiers have surrendered their weapons. Earlier there were also images of long lines at cash machines and panicked people running home from bars. Turkey's prime minister Binali Yildirim said a faction within the army had attempted to seize power but that they would be pushed back and that it was wrong to call it a coup. He said: “Some people illegally undertook an illegal action outside of the chain of command.

REUTERS Bridges in Istanbul have been closed in the attempted coup

"The government elected by the people remains in charge. This government will only go when the people say so." He said Turkey's security services had been ordered to do whatever necessary to resolve the situation and warned those responsible would "pay the highest price". But an EU source said the coup looked substantial and was "not just a few generals". Officials said President Erdoğan was safe and had urged the world to show solidarity with the Turkish people. US Secretary of State John Kerry said he hopes there will be "peace, stability and continuity in Turkey".

REUTERS Turkish military stand guard near the the Taksim Square in Istanbul

However, the commander of Turkey's First Army, part of the country's land forces responsible for Istanbul and other western areas, said those attempting a coup were a small faction and "nothing to worry about". He added: ”They represent a small group within the First Army headquarters.” Celebratory gunfire was heard in Damascus early on Saturday after Turkey's army said it had seized power from President Tayyip Erdogan, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's main regional opponents. Witnesses said people also took to the streets in the Syrian capital and in the government-held section of the northern city of Aleppo. Britain's government said it was "concerned by events" in Turkey.

GETTY Tanks were seen rolling into the city of Istanbul