Turkish president Erdogan vows ‘coup plotters’ will not succeed

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday vowed that “coup plotters” would not succeed, calling on people to take to streets in his support after a military group announced a power grab.

“I certainly believe that coup plotters will not succeed,” Erdogan told CNN Turk television, speaking on FaceTime via mobile phone in his first reaction to the move by the Turkish armed forces.

“I urge the Turkish people to convene at public squares and airports. I never believed in a power higher than the power of the people.”

Erdogan said he was still president and Turkey’s commander in chief, promising that plotters would pay a “very heavy price.” A presidential source said Erdogan was in a secure location as per government protocol.