Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said it is the elected government, and not the Turkish military, that is governing the country.

Speaking in Istanbul, surrounded by a multitude of supporters chanting his name, he has asserted the country is "well prepared to tackle these people."

"One nation, one flag, one motherland," the crows has chanted, alongside his name.

His comments follow an attempted coup d'etat, with a military faction trying to take control of strategic buildings and venues in Istanbul and Ankara. 

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says the coup has been thwarted.

Addressing the organizers "in Pennsylvania", Erdogan has added: "The betrayal you have shown to the nation is enough. If you have courage, come back to your country."

Erdogan has accused his self-styled arch enemy, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, of orchestrating the coup d'etat.

On his Hizmet Movement's website, Gulen is quoted as condemning the coup in the strongest terms.

Earlier, Turkish armed forces loyal to President Erdogan were reported to be in control of Istanbul's biggest airport, after it had been seized by the military group involved in the coup.

CNN Turk showed images of soldiers surrendering with their hands up on a bridge across the Bosphorus.