A Turkish military commander said fighter jets had shot down a helicopter used by the coup plotters over Ankara. He was seen surrounded by supporters, and said on TV that the coup attempt was an "act of treason". He called on Turks to take to the streets to defend his government and said the coup plotters would pay a heavy price. Erdogan and other officials blamed loyalists of a US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, for the coup attempt. As the night wore on, momentum turned against the coup plotters.

Source: The Telegraph July 16, 2016 03:11 UTC