As the military reportedly took over Turkish media outlets, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivered a speech via Skype insisting that he was still in control of the country.
Mr Erdogan is urging citizens to take to the streets and rally in public squares and airports to rise against "an uprising attempty by minority in military".
“There is no power higher than the power of the people,” the president said, according to a translation by New York Times reporter Ceylan Yeginsu.
“The chain of command has been violated,” he added. “This is a step against the higher ranks by their superiors.”
Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim said that there had been an attempt to take the capital in Ankara, and said security forces would "retaliate in kind" and are doing "everything necessary" to regain control "even if that means fatalities", Sky News reports.
A military group calling itself the "Turkish Peace Council" seized control of the state-run TV outlet in the Friday night action, where they announced the imposition of martial law.
The Turkish Chief of Army is reportedly being held in prison.
State-run Anadolu Agency reports that a chief prosecutor in Istanbul has launched a probe into the coup attempt. Soldiers will be arrested on site.
