Amateur footage emerging from Turkey during the night shows the drama as soldiers tried to carry out a coup.

One of the videos appeared to show a helicopter firing on civilians, who are believed to have answered President Tayyip Erdogan's call to take to the streets to support him.

Turkish private broadcaster CNN Turk halted its live news broadcast early this morning, as a presenter said soldiers had entered the studio control room.

Video later released by the station showed soldiers walking into the building and up the stairs.

Erdogan, who had been on vacation on the southwest coast when the coup was launched by a faction in the armed forces, flew into Istanbul before dawn and was shown on TV appearing among a crowd of supporters outside Ataturk Airport.