What is a military coup? The lowdown as President Erdogan fights to cling onto power
An attempted military coup is underway in Turkey with capital city Ankara and Istanbul both in lockdown.
But what is a military coup?
A military coup is an attempted overthrow of a Government, with the help of armed forces.
Erdogan claims the coup is down to a rogue faction within the army, but the images of tanks on the streets send a stark message.
It is a development of the French phrase 'coup d'Etat', meaning 'a blow against the state'.
It's earliest use came in the 1700s in France when there was an uprising against Napoleon.
For a controversial politician like Erdogan this modern day version is a nightmare scenario.
He has been accused of silencing opposition, with critical journalists arrested and put on trial, and political opponents even made to pay fines for criticising him.
Think back to the overthrow of Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, which began with a military coup.
A coalition led by armed forces saw Morsi ousted from power and the constitution suspended.
Morsi fought back through his own loyal troops, and eventually was put on trial and jailed for his actions.
Actions from the military can embolden protesters to march in their thousands and express their anger against the Government, lending legitimacy to those holding the coup.
As the army is supposed to be under control of it's Government to protect it's people, to turn on the country's leaders is symbolic of a loss of control by the political establishment.
The coup in Turkey began in a non violent manner, but as Erdogan's forces have begun to fight back, the scenes more resemble civil war.
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President Erdogan is vowing to dig in and reclaim power, but the usurpers' end game is for him to step down or even be arrested.
A coup is rare in Western countries, and is considered to be successful only when the rebels have seized and held onto power for seven days.
In this case it would not be the first time Erdogan has faced a coup, although this is more advanced than the previous attempt in 2013.
Three years ago senior military officers were among 17 people jailed for life, convicted of plotting to overthrow Government, where he was Prime Minister at the time.
And further back, Turkey has seen numerous attempts by the military to take power.
