Military coup d’etat in Turkey:Hurriyet daily building taken hostage

Ankara, July 16 (IANS) A group of soldiers on Saturday entered state-run Hurriyet daily building taking several journalists hostage following a military coup attempt underway in Turkey.

CNN Türk’s broadcast also went off air after soldiers entered the Dogan Media Centre.

A local person has taken over the live broadcast in the early hours of Thursday, saying that the corridors of the building were under the control of the police’s special forces.

Tanks and soldiers are on the streets, protesters are mustering forces, with gunfire and explosions punctuating the chaos.

It was still unclear who is in control – the army or the elected government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, CNN reported.

Istanbul’s main Ataturk airport is now under army control, and flights – which had been interrupted for some hours – are due to resume from 06:00 (03:00 GMT).

In the country’s biggest cities, Istanbul and Ankara, there have been reports of gunfire and casualties. In Istanbul, bridges were blocked by a group of soldiers and military vehicles

Soldiers were earlier seen at strategic points in Istanbul, with jets flying low in Ankara.

Two large explosion were also heard near Istanbul’s central Taksim Square.

There were also reports of blasts at parliament building in Ankara. MPs were believed to be hiding in shelters.

The prosecutor’s office says most of the 42 people who died were civilians.

Seventeen of the dead were police officers.

In addition, a senior Turkish official says 13 soldiers who tried to storm the presidential palace have been arrested.