Turkey’s military has claimed to have seized power of the country – but President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the attempted coup would be put down. If successful, the overthrow of Mr Erdogan, who has ruled Turkey since 2003, would transform one of the most important US allies in the region while war rages on its border. “We will overcome this,” Mr Erdogan said, speaking by mobile phone to the Turkish sister station of CNN. He called on his followers to take to the streets to defend his government and said the coup plotters would pay a heavy price.

Source: Turkey coup attempt: Military claims to have taken over as President says he will defend government | Europe | News | The Independent