THIS USED TO HAPPEN ONCE A DECADE, BUT IT HASN'T HAPPENED

IN QUITE SOME TIME. THIS COUP IS UNUSUAL IN TWO WAYS, FIRST

COUPS IN TURKEY ARE NOT TO END DEMOCRACY, THEY ARE NORMALLY

DONE TO PROTECT SECULAR DEMOCRACY. BUT THAT IS NOT THE

HISTORY IN TURKEY. IN TURKEY USUALLY IF THE GOVERNMENT HAS

SUCCEEDED ITS MANDATE, THE MILITARY IS A PROTECTOR OF

SECULAR DEMOCRACY, THEY WILL STEP IN AND GET RID OF THAT

GOVERNMENT AND THEN HAVE ORDERLY ELECTIONS AFTERWARD. NOW

ERDOGAN IS A RIGHT-WINGER, THE

PRESIDENT OF TURKEY. HE CLAIMS THAT HE HAS WON ALL THESE

ELECTIONS. HE SAYS HE IS ON THE

SIDE OF DEMOCRACY. SO SOME OF THESE ELECTIONS HAD STRETCHED

THE

BOUNDS OF REASON. THERE IS NOW A PEACE COUNCIL WHICH IS WHAT THE

COUP IS CALLING HAS CLAIMED OVER THE COUNTRY. BUT THAT IS THE

SECOND INCREDIBLY UNUSUAL PART OF THIS. NORMALLY A COUP HAPPENS

FAIRLY QUICKLY. USUALLY THERE IS A DECISIVE BLOW, THEY TAKE OVER

THINGS LIKE THE MEDIA OUTLETS, AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE WE CAN

TAKE OVER THE MEDIA OUTLETS. THE PRESIDENT OF TURKEY WENT ON

FACETIME TO GET HIS MESSAGE OUT. YOU TAKE OVER THE MEDIA, YOU

TAKE OVER IMPORTANT POLICE INSTALLATIONS, THE AIRPORT, ETC.

AND YOU FINALLY GET THE PERSON YOU ARE TRYING TO DO A COUP ON.

RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS THEY DO NOT

HAVE THE PRESIDENT. FURTHERMORE, THE MILITARY IS DIVIDED.

NORMALLY IT IS A UNITED MILITARY THAT DOES A COUP, IN THIS CASE

IT IS NOT. IT IS NOT REMOTELY OVER. THERE IS NO RESOLUTION TO

THIS COUP AS WE SPEAK. WE ARE

DOING THIS LIVE. THIS CAN STRETCH ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

I HAVE SOURCES FROM INSIDE

TURKEY THAT ARE SAYING THAT PEOPLE ARE OUT ON THE STREETS.

THE FACT THAT HE CALLED THE PEOPLE OUT SHOWS YOU GOOD NEWS

AND BAD NEWS FOR HIM. HE DOES HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORTERS IN THE

COUNTRY. HE IS CALLING OUT THE FUNDAMENTALIST PEOPLE. SO THERE

HAS BEEN SHOOTING BACK AND FORTH. JOHN WILL GIVE YOU

DETAILS ABOUT THAT. THE POLICE ARE GENERALLY ON THE SIDE OF THE

GOVERNMENT.

THAT MEANS THE POLICE AND THE MILITARY ARE OFTEN IN CONFLICT

AND THERE ARE REPORTS OF SHOOTOUTS THERE AS WELL.

>> THE TELEGRAPH IS REPORTING THAT 17

POLICE OFFICERS THAT WERE KILLED.

IF THAT IS TRUE THEY WERE KILLED BY MILITARY.

>> ONE OF MY SOURCES SAYS THAT THE MILITARY WAS TRYING TO LAND

ON THE MOST IMPORTANT POLICE HEADQUARTERS IN ISTANBUL [VIDEO

BUFFERING] THEY CLAIM THAT IS WHAT STARTED THE HOSTILITIES ñ

BUT IN BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE MILITARY. NOW THERE ARE

REPORTS THAT THERE ARE TANKS FIRING AT THE PARLIAMENT

BUILDING. IN THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS COUP, TURKISH TELEVISION

WAS RECORDING AS NOT A COUP, BUT A LIGHT MILITARY ACTION. THERE

IS NO SUCH THING AS A LIGHT COUP, YOU EITHER WIN OR YOU ALL

GET EXECUTED. SO NOW SOME PORTION OF THE TURKISH MILITARY

IS EITHER GOING TO WIN OR BE

EXECUTED, AND THE PRESIDENT IS EITHER GOING TO WIN OR WALK OUT

PRESUMABLY IN HANDCUFFS. THIS IS WINNER TAKE ALL.

PEOPLE ARE IN THE STREETS, TANKS ARE IN THE STREETS.

THIS IS A MESS.

>> AS YOU SAY, IT IS AN INTERESTING COUP, A VERY

MODERATE COUP. THEY TRIED TO TAKE OVER THE MEDIA, THE TOOK

OVER STATE TELEVISION, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, YOUTUBE WERE SHUT DOWN

ALMOST INSTANTLY. BUT BECAUSE OF VPNS THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF

INFORMATION THAT WAS COMING OUT

OF THE COUNTRY. BUT WE ALSO HAVE MANY JOURNALISTS BEING EJECTED

FROM THE COUNTRY, NOT BY THE

MILITARY, BUT PRIOR BY THE GOVERNMENT. IT IS A VERY

COMPLICATED SITUATION. SOME OF WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT CONTROLLING

KEY AREAS, THOSE ARE OUR INITIAL CLUES THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING

ON. SEVERAL BRIDGES HAVE BEEN BLOCKED OFF BY TANKS. EVENTUALLY

ONE AIRPORT WAS SHUT DOWN, NOW ALL AIRPORTS ARE SHUT DOWN. AS

YOU SAID THIS IS NOT A UNIFIED MILITARY EFFORT, IT IS ACTUALLY

FAR MORE DANGEROUS. YOU HAVE NOT ONLY THE INSTANCE WHERE THE

RENEGADE HELICOPTERS FIRED UPON THE POLICE STATION KILLING 17

PEOPLE. WE THEN HAD A JET AFFILIATED WITH THE MILITARY

FORCES LOYAL TO THE PRESIDENT SHOOTING DOWN ONE OF THOSE

HELICOPTERS. WE NOW HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR TANK BATTLES, AND

ARMED FORCES ON BOTH SIDES

FIGHTING.

>> WHEN YOU GET THE MILITARY FIRING ON POLICE IN THE CAPITAL,

THAT IS A CIVIL WAR.

THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT BEGIN A CIVIL WAR.

>> IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER IN SECULAR DEMOCRACY, THERE IS A

REASON TO ROOT FOR THIS COUP. I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF TRICKS

INSIDE THE COUNTRY THAT ARE HOPING THAT THIS GETS DONE, IF

IT DOES NOT THEN THE PRESIDENT REGAINS POWER AND HE WILL BE AN

IMMOVABLE OBJECT. HE WILL BE

GUARDED, HE WILL PASS EVERY DRACONIAN LAW AND THE

FUNDAMENTALISTS WILL HAVE A MUCH

TIGHTER REIN ON POWER. IF YOU ARE IN THAT SECULAR GROUP AND

WANT THE COUP TO SUCCEED, IT WAS GOOD NEWS IN THE BEGINNING AND

NOT GOOD NEWS NOW. YOU WANTED IT TO HAPPEN QUICKLY AND BE OVER,

BUT IT IS NOT OVER. ONE OF THE LEADING GENERALS SAID THAT I AM

NOT PART OF THIS AND HE DID NOT

TAKE SIDES. THE NAVY SAID WE ARE NOT PART OF THIS. THAT DOESN'T

MEAN THE NAVY ATTACKED THE COUP. YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS CAN GET

INTO AN UNBELIEVABLE MESS. COPS VERSUS MILITARY, PARTS OF THE

MILITARY VERSUS OTHER PARTS OF

THE MILITARY.

>> THE US WAS VERY SLOW TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

BUT NOW ñ

WE HAVE A BASE IN TURKEY THAT HOUSES NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF WE REALLY DO CHOOSE SIDES.

>> THE PRESIDENT AND JOHN KERRY ñ THE SECRETARY UNDERSCORED

THAT THE STATE

DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THE SAFETY AND SECURITY

OF US CITIZENS IN TURKEY. THERE IS SOME QUESTION AS A NATO

MEMBER, WHAT ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO

DO WHEN THERE IS A COUP ATTEMPT? IT IS A COMPLICATED SITUATION

AND

I'M PRETTY SURE THE US WANTS TO

SIDE WITH THE WINNER.

>>THE US ROLE IN THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AND VERY UNCLEAR.

NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURE IS IF AN ALLY LIKE TURKEY IS GOING

TO PULL OFF A COUP AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT, THEY WOULD

CERTAINLY CONSULT WITH THE UNITED STATES.

>> IT APPEARS THEY DIDN'T. THIS IS TOO EARLY.

>> WHAT IS NOT EVIDENT IS SECRETARY KERRY OR PRES.

OBAMA'S WORDS.

THEY WOULD SAY THEY ARE BACKING THE GOVERNMENT NO MATTER WHAT

THEY DO.

>> THIS IS FROM REUTERS, A SENIOR EU SOURCE MONITORING THE

SITUATION SAID, "IT LOOKS LIKE A WELL ORCHESTRATED COUP BY A

SIGNIFICANT BODY IN THE MILITARY NOT JUST A FEW COLONELS. THEY

HAVE CONTROL OF THE AIRPORTS AND ARE EXPECTING CONTROL OVER THE

TV STATIONS. THEY CONTROL SEVERAL STRATEGIC POINTS IN

ISTANBUL. GIVEN THE SCALE IT IS DIFFICULT TO IMAGINE THAT THEY

WILL STOP SHORT OF PREVAILING THOUGHT IS NOT JUST A FEW

COLONELS. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT SOME LITTLE COUP, THE TURKISH

AMBASSADOR WAS CLEARLY SHOCKED AND IS TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY.

HOWEVER IT LOOKS IN THE MORNING THEY WILL HAVE MASSIVE

IMPLICATIONS FOR TURKEY. THIS HAS NOT COME OUT OF NOWHERE."

MEANING IT WAS PLANNED. WE STILL DON'T KNOW.

THE SUGGESTION ñ IT DOESN'T SUGGEST THAT THE US DIDN'T

KNOW, BUT IT SUGGESTS THAT IT SURPRISED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE

WHO MIGHT HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF IT.

>> I WOULD CONSIDER IT SHOCKING IF THE US DIDN'T KNOW. ONE OF

THE TOP GENERALS HAS BEEN TAKEN

BY THE LEADERS OF THE COUP, SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A RIFT

WITHIN THE TURKISH MILITARY.

>> IT'S SHOCKING AND SURPRISING BECAUSE TURKEY HASN'T HAD A

MILITARY COUP SINCE 1980, BUT IF YOU REALLY THINK ABOUT IT IT IS

NOT THAT SHOCKING WHEN YOU

CONSIDER THAT TURKEY AMONG ALL PREDOMINANTLY MUSLIM COUNTRIES

HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT

REMAINING SECULAR. EVEN THOUGH THE COUNTRY IS DIVIDED AMONGST

THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE PRESIDENT, OR MIGHT AGREE WITH THE MILITARY

COUP, THERE IS THIS NEED AND WANT TO BE SECULAR. ONE THING

THAT STOOD OUT TO ME WAS HOW THE FIRST THING THE PRESIDENT WANTED

TO DO WAS ASKED HIS SUPPORTERS TO GO OUT IN THE STREETS. HE HAS

BEEN SO HORRIFIC TOWARD

JOURNALISTS AND PROTESTERS. AS SOON AS HE NEEDS PROTESTERS FOR

HIS OWN AGENDA AND PURPOSES, HE TELLS THEM TO GO OUT ON THE

STREETS AND RISK THEIR OWN LIVES.

>> IT'S INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS FOR THEM TO GO OUT THERE. TO WHAT

YOU ARE SAYING ABOUT WHETHER THE U.S. MIGHT KNOW OR NOT, THE

STATEMENT THAT WAS PUT OUT BY THE COUP FORCES I THINK IS

INTERESTING. IT EXPLAINS THEIR REASSURANCE TO THE US. " TURKISH

ARMED FORCES OF ñ HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS, THE RULE OF LAW ON

THE GENERAL SECURITY THAT HAS DAMAGED ALL INTERNATIONAL

AGREEMENTS ARE STILL VALID. WE HOPE ALL OUR GOOD RELATIONSHIPS

WITH ALL COUNTRIES WILL

CONTINUE."

>> THERE IS NO QUESTION WHAT THEY WANT, THEY WANT TO BE IN

CHARGE OF TURKEY AND GET RID OF

THE PRESIDENT AND CONTINUE THE ROLE THAT TURKEY HAD PRIOR TO

THE PRESIDENT. TO CENK'S POINT WE ARE NOT GOING TO KNOW IN THE

COMING DAYS, BECAUSE IF WE KNEW IT WASN'T BECAUSE THESE GUYS

CALLED JOHN KERRY. THERE IS NO QUESTION WHAT SIDE WE HAVE TO BE

ON, AND WE HAVE NO BIGGER ALLY IN THE FIGHT AGAINST ISIS THAN

TURKEY. INCREDIBLY VALUABLE. THE NOTION THAT WE WOULD OFFICIALLY

RISK ñ THAT IS THE

WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME IS A STRENGTHENED AND AN EMPOWERED

PRESIDENT. THE FLIPSIDE IS TO CENK'S POINT, THE NOTION THAT

THE CIA DIDN'T KNOW OF THIS ñ IT WOULD BE A FASCINATING

INTRIGUING STORY WHEN REVEALED.

>> LET ME CLARIFY THE PRESIDENT REFERENCED THE CIA BUT IN A

VEILED WAY. YOU KNOW HE IS NOT IN CHARGE, HE CLAIMS HE IS. IF

YOU REMEMBER ONE OF THE TACTICS THAT THE PRESIDENT WILL USE

AGAINST PROTESTERS IS FIREWATER. THEY WOULD PUT PEPPER SPRAY IN

THE WATER HOSES AND SPRAY THAT ON EVERYONE SO THEY WOULD GET

PEPPER SPRAY ALL OVER THEM, SO HE NORMALLY HATES PROTESTERS IN

THE STREETS. NOW HE IS BEGGING FOR PROTESTERS IN THE STREETS

WHICH MEANS HE IS NOT IN CHARGE. HE HAS LOST THE MEDIA ENTIRELY

AND HE HAD GREAT CONTROL OVER

THE MEDIA. YOU CAN TELL HE IS NOT IN CHARGE OF THE MEDIA

BECAUSE HE HAD TO USE A CELL PHONE AND FACE TIME TO MESSAGE

THE TURKISH PEOPLE. NO WAY THE PRESIDENT IS FACE TIMING IF HE

WAS ACTUALLY IN CHARGE. IF YOU ARE IN FAVOR OF PEACEFUL

RESOLUTION, YOU WANT THIS TO END EITHER WAY IMMEDIATELY. THE

WORST-CASE SCENARIO IS NEITHER SIDE WINS AND THEN WE'VE GOT

TANKS ALL OVER THE STREETS, ONE REPORT HAS AN F-16, TURKISH

MILITARY, SHOOTING DOWN A TURKISH MILITARY HELICOPTER.

TURKEY IS HEAVILY ARMED. IT IS

THE SECOND LARGEST ARMED NATION IN NATO. LET ME GIVE YOU WHAT I

KNOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN

INVOLVEMENT. THERE IS ANOTHER MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALIST WHO LIVES

INSIDE AMERICA. HE WAS DEEP ALLIES WITH ERDOGAN, THE

PRESIDENT, HAS BEEN IN POWER

SINCE 2003. THEY ARE BOTH FUNDAMENTALIST MUSLIMS. THAT IS

NOT FUNDAMENTALIST MUSLIMS AS YOU WOULD HAVE IN OTHER PLACES

OF THE MIDDLE EAST. AS WE HAVE THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT HERE IN

AMERICA, THEY ARE BASICALLY THE

MUSLIM RIGHT. THEY ARE REPUBLICANS, RIGHT WING IN THAT

SENSE.

>>HE IS THE MIKE PENCE OF TURKEY.

>>YES, HE IS NOT A RELIGIOUS LEADER. ERDOGAN IS NOT A

RELIGIOUS LEADER, BUT HE IS MORE OF A MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALIST

WITHIN THE DEMOCRACY OF TURKEY. PEOPLE ARE UNSURE IF HE TAINTED

THAT DEMOCRACY IN THOSE

ELECTIONS. THE GUY IN PENNSYLVANIA IS A RELIGIOUS

LEADER AND USED TO WORK WITH THE

PRESIDENT. AND THEY THINK HE HAS AN ALLIANCE WITH THE CIA. HE HAS

A COMPOUND IN PENNSYLVANIA,

CHARTER SCHOOLS ALL OVER AMERICA. WE DON'T OFTEN GIVE

FUNDAMENTALIST MUSLIMS CHARTER SCHOOLS TO TEACH OUR KIDS IN

AMERICA UNLESS YOU'VE GOT SOME SORT OF OKAY FROM THE US

GOVERNMENT. WHEN THOSE TWO GUYS THEN BROKE APART AND BEGAN AN

INTERNAL STRUGGLE FOR POWER IN TURKEY, A LOT OF THE POLICE USED

TO BE ON ONE SIDE, THEN THE PRESIDENT CAME IN WITH A POWER

PLAY. IT IS AN AMAZING POWER PLAY GOING ON. AT THAT BREAK, IT

APPEARS THAT THE AMERICAN

GOVERNMENT THOUGHT THE PRESIDENT IS OFF THE RESERVATION. THERE

ARE THINGS THAT HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES. IT APPEARED THAT

BEHIND THE SCENES THE U.S. WAS ON THE GUY IN PENNSYLVANIA'S

SIDE.

SO NOW HE PUT OUT A STATEMENT

SAYING IT WASN'T ME. IT WOULD BE ENORMOUSLY SURPRISING IF A