ATTEMPTED TURKISH COUP LEAVES SYNAGOGUES HALF EMPTY:

The attempted coup in Turkey caught Istanbul's Jews by surprise as they were finishing their Friday night 15 July meals. Though Air Force planes only flew low over populated areas in Ankara, residents of Istanbul quickly understood that security tensions were at their highest, which led to the synagogues of Istanbul being half empty on Shabbat morning. "On Friday night we went to the synagogue as usual. It was only at 11:30 at night, when we were finishing our Shabbat meal, that neighbors came to tell us about the dramatic coup happening right then, with violent clashes in some places.” According to the source, morning prayers were finished hastily and the congregants returned to their houses quickly. "There was a large police and military presence in the streets. Naturally there was a lot of tension, though we already knew that the coup had failed.” In the hours since Friday's uprising - which left some 265 people dead in a chaotic night of violence and uncertainty - thousands of soldiers have been arrested and hundreds of judiciary members removed. The country's Prime Minister has vowed that "they will pay a heavy price." (Arutz-7)