International security

NATO Allies Rally Behind Erdogan as Turkish Coup Splits Military

The Obama administration joined other NATO allies in throwing support behind Turkey’s democratically elected government as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan fought to put down a coup attempt by a faction of his country’s military early Saturday.

President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel affirmed their support for the NATO ally after Turkish Army officers said they had seized power and Erdogan appeared on television urging people to take to the streets to defend his government. Gunfire and explosions echoed across the country’s capital, Ankara, and its largest city, Istanbul.

“The United States views with gravest concern events unfolding in Turkey,” U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement after speaking with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He “emphasized the United States’ absolute support for Turkey’s democratically-elected, civilian government and democratic institutions,” according to the statement.