The crowd this afternoon. Picture: Almir Colan.

Crowds bearing the Turkish flag assembled at the Broadmeadows Library in the city’s north in support of the beleaguered leader as he tries to squash the final gasps of a military coup.

The hastily organised rally saw about 1000 people gather in a square in Broadmeadows pledging support for the democratically elected government and giving emotional speeches, the ABC reports.

Speaking to the gathered crowd, Nail Aykan, from the Islamic Council of Victoria, said the coup would backfire.

“The coup does nothing but violate democracy and civilian rule,” he said.

“With such an attempted military coup we witness the true champions of democracy and we also witness the hypocrites. We say democracy over hypocrisy.

“This failed attempt will only strengthen true democracy and people power and the leadership of Recep Tayyip Erdogan.”

Nearly 200 soldiers have surrendered to police as a crackdown on the failed coup in Turkey continues.

A total of 1,563 military officers have been detained throughout Turkey, the state-run news agency Anadolu reports. At least 90 people are dead and 1154 were wounded in the bloody coup attempt.