Turkey military coup ’caused by BREXIT’, claims Labour MP

A FORMER Labour frontbencher has caused outrage after claiming the military coup in Turkey was caused by the campaign for Britain to leave the EU.

The coup saw soldiers attempt to take the country from the control of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Shots were fired among civilians and bombs were blasted at the nation’s parliamentary building.

But Labour MP Chris Bryant has claimed that the act of rebellion was fuelled by Britain’s Brexit campaign

He said: “Turkey is now and has long been a lynchpin in European and wider security.

Mr Bryant later added: “I think Brexit destabilised a key relationship.

“Though Erdogan has shown scant regard for democratic rights.”

It comes after a helicopter controlled by Turkish coup plotters killed 17 police officers as government forces and military dissidents clash in Ankara.

The nation’s state-run news agency claimed the helicopter attacked the police special forces headquarters in the outskirts of the turkish capital.

Meanwhile there are unconfirmed reports that an F-16 fighter jet has shot down the helicopter.

The police force, who narrowly outnumber the total number of active military personnel in the country, were considered to be key to turning the tide in the favour of President Erdogan.

“Ludicrous Brexit lies undoubtedly contributed to destabilising.”

Despite uproar online after tweeting the remarks, the former Shadow Leader of the House of Commons refused to delete the statement – instead sharing comments from outraged members of the public.

One replied: “Somewhere there had to be some **** that blamed Brexit for the Turkey coup, and here folks is that very ****.