[I'm referring to an ATC conversation during the military coup in Turkey with an MD83 EP-TAS (ATA TBZ5402). Can a pilot take off at his own discretion?
To summarize the link: a pilot is begging the tower to be allowed to depart and repeatedly denied due to what the controller describes as a "military operation" or "people in the tower". The pilot indicates the situation is dangerous and even reports seeing gunfire on the ground at one point. The pilot then repeatedly asks for permission to depart "at my own discretion". In the end, it appears that he does not depart.
Would there be any consequences for the pilot? Is he allowed to take off if the situation on the ground is more threatening than in the air? Are there any international regulations in this case?