Group gathers at Turkish Consulate in Chicago after coup attempt

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A group of Chicagoans with ties to Turkey gathered Saturday outside the Turkish Consulate in the Streeterville neighborhood, waving red-and-white star-and-crescent flags.

The gathering comes a day after a failed military coup attempt in the country. The chanted "We support Erdogan. We support democracy." Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the country's president.

Not all were Turkish, but some had family there. It was an opportunity to be in solidarity with a country that saw explosions and tanks roll through the capital of Istanbul.

Nur Sevencan is studying in Chicago for the summer, but has family in Turkey.

"I never felt so bad for not being in Turkey," Sevencan said. "I'm not scared for my family, I'm not scared for myself, I'm scared for my country."

That's why some held signs encouraging democracy, including one that read: "Democracy in Turkey will prevail."

One speaker at the gather told the crowd: "We have to be the light for freedom of democracy."

"It is my job to raise my voice and tell them 'No, we will not accept this," said Halil Demir. "We experience democracy, we live in U.S., we are Turkish American. We experienced democracy."

And while they petition in Chicago for democracy, they also pray Turkey can quickly turn around from it's most violent night in years.

"Our people we stay peaceful, we stay patient, we stay positive and we pray to god no more people get injured, no more people get hurt," said Turkish American Selma Demir.