Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wipes his tears during the funeral of Mustafa Cambaz, Erol and Abdullah Olcak who were killed Friday while protesting the attempted coup against Turkey’s government in Istanbul Sunday.
ANKARA, Turkey — Warplanes patrolled Turkey’s skies days after a failed coup, officials said Monday, in a sign that authorities feared that the threat against the government was not yet over.
A senior official said F-16 jets guarded the Turkish airspace overnight, after a faction within the military launched an attempted coup late Friday against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.
The state-run news agency, Anadolu Agency, said Erdogan ordered the overnight patrol by F-16s “for the control of the airspace and security.”
The coup plotters sent warplanes firing on key government installations and tanks rolling into major cities, but the rebellion — which was not supported by the military’s top brass — was quashed by loyal government forces and masses of civilians who took to the streets. At least 294 people were killed and more than 1,400 wounded in the rebellion that took the government — and much of the world — by surprise.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the coup had failed and life had returned to normal. But he and other officials also urged people to take to streets at night, saying risks remained in its aftermath.
At nightfall, thousands of flag-waving people rallied in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, Ankara’s Kizilay Square and elsewhere. Erdogan remained in Istanbul despite statements that he would return to the capital and address crowds in Kizilay Square. News reports said close to 2,000 special forces police officers were deployed in Istanbul to guard key installations.