Turkish officials Saturday called for the prompt retu of eight ‘treacherous officers’ who landed in Greece after a deadly military coup attempt in Ankara by a cadre of disaffected officers.

The officers flew to Greece seeking asylum and were identified as two majors, a captain and five privates by Anadolu Agency, a state-run news organization. The request was futher evidence that the coup was unsuccessful.

The officers were reportedly arrested for entering Greece illegally. The Greek govement said it is retuing a Turkish Blackhawk helicopter to Turkey "as soon as possible" but it will examine the asylum demand of the eight military persoel.

The coup attempt was swift and came as a surprise to allies in the region. Forces loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan managed to quash the coup attempt in a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left at least 161 dead and at least 1,000 injured.

Authorities arrested thousands of people and Erdogan vowed that those responsible "will pay a heavy price for their treason."

All soldiers involved in the attempted coup at the military headquarters in the capital, Ankara, have been taken into custody, the state-run news agency reported.

The report says anti-terrorism police will now conduct a "detailed search" at the headquarters. NTV television has shown footage of a Turkish colonel and other soldiers being taken into custody at military headquarters.

The video shows them being hand-searched by special forces police, their hands behind their heads. Some are later seen kneeling on the ground, their hands still held behind their heads.

According to Hurriyet newspaper's online edition, some of the privates who were detained told interrogators they were not aware that they were part of a coup attempt. They had been told by commanders they were taking part in military maneuvers. Some said they understood that it was a coup attempt when they saw civilians climb on tanks.

Military chief of staff Gen. Hulusi Akar is taking over the command of the operation against the coup plotters, CNN-Turk said.

The coup attempt began late Friday, with a statement from the military saying it had seized control "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for law and order to be reinstated."

Fighter jets buzzed overhead, gunfire erupted outside military headquarters and vehicles blocked two major bridges in Istanbul. Soldiers backed by tanks blocked entry to Istanbul's airport for a couple of hours before being overtaken by pro-govement crowds carrying Turkish flags, according to footage broadcast by the Dogan news agency.But the military did not appear unified, as top commanders went on television to condemn the action and order troops back to their barracks.

Fighting continued into the early moing, with the sounds of huge blasts echoing across Istanbul and the capital, Ankara, including at least one bomb that hit the parliament complex. Television footage showed images of broken glass and other debris strewn across a lobby leading to the assembly hall.

In Washington, a statement from the White House said President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry agreed that both sides "should support the democratically elected govement of Turkey, show restraint and avoid any violence or bloodshed."

A senior Defense Department official told Fox News that the unrest was having "no impact" on anti-ISIS missions flown out of Incirlik Air Base in southeaste Turkey.

Turkey's state-run news agency says a top body overseeing judges and prosecutors has dismissed 2,745 judges across the country.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) | FindTheData

Anadolu Agency said the emergency meeting of the Judges and Prosecutors High Council was held Saturday, hours after Turkish forces quashed an attempted coup.

The report said the meeting was called to discuss disciplinary measures against members suspected of links to the movement led by the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The govement says the attempted coup was carried out by a clique within the military loyal to Gulen's movement.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement calling for "calm and restraint, and full respect for Turkey's democratic institutions and its constitution."

Leaders of Turkey's religious communities have released a joint statement condemning the attempted coup. The statement from representatives of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities declares "our great sorrow over the terrorist attacks that disturb the peace of our great nation and of the world."

Erdogan made his way to the Ataturk airport early Saturday and spoke to the crowds that gathered to greet him.

"They have pointed the people's guns against the people. The president, whom 52 percent of the people brought to power, is in charge. This govement brought to power by the people is in charge. They won't succeed as long as we stand against them by risking everything."

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A FoxNews.com correspondent in Istanbul
contributed to this report