CNN Turk has resumed broadcasting after soldiers halted its live coverage of the Turkish coup from its Istanbul studio.
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"That's it, we now have to go," the presenter said in the live broadcast, after soldiers apparently entered the studio control room.
The network continued broadcasting footage of the empty studio, with reports that sounds of a gunfire and fighting could be heard in the background.
Then in extraordinary scenes, an employee inside the office began broadcasting footage on Facebook Live of armed soldiers in military fatigues escorting employees down stairs in CNN Turk studio offices. Employees appeared to be arguing heatedly with soldiers, who did not draw their weapons in the footage, as groups of employees and military moved throughout the building.
In all my years of journalism I’ve never seen anything like what’s playing out live on CNN Turk right now. https://t.co/5uJnlZhf6D— Andy Carvin (@acarvin) July 16, 2016
The footage then showed employees gathered on a lower floor, still in heated discussion, while at least one cameraman tried to film from a corner.
There were reports that pro-government civilians followed the soldiers into the broadcaster's offices.
Eyes fixated on empty @cnnturk studio. Will never forget that scene. Crowd screaming, chanting "asker dışarı" (soldiers out).— Afsin Yurdakul (@afsinyurdakul) July 16, 2016
Ferhat Boratav, CNN Turk's Editor in Chief spoke via phone to CNN in the US immediately after the chaotic scenes were broadcast online and said that when the soldiers had occupied the building police had "acted as a buffer". He said the soldiers who took part had been arrested.
Watch: Turkish broadcaster CNN Turk has halted news broadcast after soldiers enter studio control room https://t.co/wJ2CPKIrMV— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 16, 2016
Approximately half an hour after the employee's Facebook Live feed halted, CNN Turk resumed broadcasting.
Later, CNN Turk journalist Haymi Behar posted a photograph of police arresting soldiers involved.
Soldiers arrested by police being moved out of @cnnturk building. pic.twitter.com/Bx6OtLPUEo— Haymi Behar (@HaymiBehar) July 16, 2016