Turkey coup: Policeman comes to aid of soldier in touching images

The police were battling pro-coup factions of the military during an attempted rebellion

The policeman hugs the soldier (Twitter/screengrab)

These images show the moments a Turkish policeman came to aid of pro-coup soldier.

Just before these pictures were taken, the soldier was stamped on and pelted with rocks by an angry crowd.

Then, amid the violence, the policeman boarded the armoured vehicle and hugged the soldier – pictured without a weapon or helmet – and urged the hostile crowd to calm down.

The anonymous policeman, wearing a gas mask and carrying a rifle, then helped the man down.

There was fighting between the police and elements of the military in major Turkish cities on Friday night, as sections of the army attempted a coup against President Erdogan and the ruling AKP party.

But despite the military appearing on the streets in force, thousands of citizens appeared on the streets rallying against the soldiers.

The policeman urges the crowd to be calm (Twitter/screengrab)

(Twitter/screengrab (Twitter/screengrab)

The policeman helps the soldier out of the armoured vehicle (Twitter/screengrab)

The policeman hugs the soldier (Twitter/screengrab)

The policeman helps the soldier down from the armoured vehicle (Twitter/screengrab)

President Erdogan had urged people to “to gather in squares, airports,” and protest against "an uprising attempt by minority in military".

“There is no power higher than the power of the people,” Mr Erdogan said.

Even as gunfire and explosions raged, seemingly unarmed civilians blocked and attacked soldiers in the streets of Ankara and Istanbul. Photographs also showed people lying in front of tanks in an effort to stop them.

By Saturday morning, numerous soldiers had surrendered but many incurred the wrath of citizens angry at the attempted take-over.

Some were pictured whipping soldiers with belts, as the disarmed troops cowered in a group.

At least 265 people were killed in the coup, the president’s office said, with thousands more injured.

The government has started a crackdown and has arrested thousands of soldiers and officials.