Istanbul: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday urged his supporters to remain on the streets until the situation normalises after military officers attempted a coup.

Addressing a crowd of thousands of supporters waving flags at Istanbul’s main airport, Erdogan said the government remained at the helm. He also said disturbances continued in the capital Ankara and he hoped they would end soon.

He added that flights by flag carrier Turkish Airlines had resumed.

Pro-coup soldiers surrender on Istanbul bridge

Around 50 soldiers involved in an attempted military coup in Turkey surrendered on one of the bridges across the Bosphorus in Istanbul on Saturday, abandoning their tanks with their hands raised in the air, live footage on CNN Turk showed.

A Reuters witness earlier saw tens of other pro-coup soldiers surrendering to armed police after being surrounded in Istanbul’s central Taksim square.

Authorities down army helicopter firing on state satellite firm

Turkish authorities shot down a military helicopter apparently operated by soldiers trying to stage a coup as it fired on the offices of state satellite operator Turksat in the capital Ankara on Saturday, broadcaster CNN Turk said.

Authorities shut Istanbul’s Bosphorus to tankers

Maritime authorities shut Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait to transiting tankers on Saturday ‘for security and safety’ reasons, shipping agent GAC said, after what the government said was an attempted coup by a faction in the military.

Some cargo carriers like bulkers were still being allowed to travel through the key shipping channel which divides Istanbul into European and Asian sides, GAC said. A Reuters witness reported seeing no traffic at the southern mouth of the strait at daybreak.