Istanbul, Jul 22 (IANS): Thousands of Turks gathered on Thursday night on a bridge in Istanbul to denounce a failed coup attempt that killed at least 242 people and wounded 1,440 others last week.

People waved flags, chanted slogans and held banners that read "No To Coup D'etat" on the Bosphorus Bridge linking the city's Asian and European parts, where heavy gunfire erupted between the military plotters and police on Friday night, killing at least 30, including civilians.

The sudden appearance of tanks and soldiers on the bridge that night signaled the start of the coup, which prompted many Turks to go there to block the plotters and their tanks, Xinhua reported.

On Thursday, increased security measures were observed in front of Istanbul police headquarters and some military barracks, according to media reports.

Two heavy construction vehicles were deployed to Istanbul Ataturk Airport as well, the Sozcu daily reported.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency across the country on Wednesday.