People surround a Turkish army tank in Ankara, Turkey July 16, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

Turkish forces said they had taken power in the country "to preserve democracy and defend human rights,"the military said in a statement sent by email and reported on Turkish TV channels.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said it was a failed attempt at a coup by an "unauthorised"move by part of the military, the BBC said.

Television footage showed tanks surrounding the airports at Ankara and Istanbul, and rows of military trucks and armed soldiers blocked the two bridges over the Bosphorous, linking Asian Turkey and European Turkey, the BBC reported.

Gunfire was heard in both cities and military helicopters as well as jet fighters flew low overhead.

The Turkish Anadolu News Agency reported the military’s Chief of Staff, General Hulusi Akar had been taken hostage in Istanbul along with a number of other loyal senior officers, but President Tayyip Erdogan was safe, it reported.

Turkey, as a secular republic, straddles east and west and is a key strategic member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Although secular, it has a significant Muslim population, and has faced a long-running rebellion from its Kurdish ethnic minority.

The military said Turkey would continue to recognise all international treaties and obligations, as well as membership of international bodies, the BBC said..

Turkey has been negotiating for membership of the European Union since 2005.

All international flights to and from Turkey have been suspended, the BBC reported.

To contact the reporter: chris@mail.chinadailyuk.com