Hundreds of cheering people took to the streets of Damascus early on Saturday and celebratory gunfire erupted after Turkey’s army said it seized power from President Tayyip Erdogan, one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main regional opponents. A witness in the Jaramana district of Damascus said the celebratory gunfire there was greater even than when Assad won re-election as president two years ago. Assad’s government has accused Erdogan of fuelling Syria’s five-year conflict by supporting Islamist insurgents battling Damascus and allowing foreign jihadis to cross the border from Turkey into Syria. Residents said convoys of cars were processing around the Mazzeh district of the Syrian capital, with people waving flags and shouting: “God, Syria and Bashar!”. Another Aleppo resident said people were chanting for Erdogan to be held to account.

Source: Hindustan Times July 15, 2016 22:18 UTC