Turkish Coup?

[robunos]

Looks like a Coup d'etat in Turkey...

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-primeminister-idUSKCN0ZV2HK

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2016/jul/15/turkey-coup-attempt-military-gunfire-ankara

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/15/turkey-low-flying-jets-and-gunfire-heard-in-ankara1/

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/07/15/gunfire-heard-jets-seen-flying-in-turkish-capital-of-ankara.html


cheers,
Robin.

 

[Grey Havoc]

Seems to be getting very messy over there. For the moment though, any remaining pro-Erdogan forces seem to be firmly on the back foot...

Are our Turkish members safe?

 

[Orionblamblam]

Ah, 2016... the year that keeps on giving when it comes to political wackiness. 2017 should be a hoot. Should we start a betting pool? Russian troops steamrolling Poland? Japan cranking out a nuke? Iran actually detonating a nuke? Civil war in France? Utah legalizes recreational pot? Venezuela sucked into the 9th level of Hell? London leaves Britain?

 

[JohnR]

I've been kind of waiting for something like this, given Turkeys tradition of secular government since the days of Ataturk, I didn't think the military would put up with Erdogan's increasing Islamification.

Regards.

 

[marauder2048]

I'm not good with ethnic cuisine: is a Turkish Coup like a Turkish Delight?

 

[Brickmuppet]

I'm not good with ethnic cuisine: is a Turkish Coup like a Turkish Delight?

No. It's a pen in which one keeps one's Turkeys so they'll be safe from foxes and weasels.

BTW. What of the 90 odd B-61 thermonuclear weapons that are in Incirlik right now?

 

[NeilChapman]

Looks like not so good planning for a coup.

Have to wait and see the full implications.

 

[Michel Van]

it was Total Failure
Erdogan is still in Power

he demanding a "painful death" for putschist

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36813924

 

[carsinamerica]

Several concerning things:

• First, Erdogan has used this as a pretext to fire at least 2745 judges and has apparently issued and has apparently issued arrest orders against 160 members of the Supreme Court
• Second, Prime Minister Yildirim said anyone who "stands with" Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who is a critic of Erdogan and whom the government blames for this coup, "won't be a friend of Turkey and will be considered at war with Turkey." Gulen lives in the United States.
• Third, power has been cut off to Incirlik Air Base by government-backed forces, who are apparently denying entry or exit.

Whatever comes of it, this looks like a further corrosion of Turkish democracy, since Erdogan is apparently using this as a pretext to purge more of his political rivals.

 

[Avimimus]

This article seems a bit useful:
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/interrogation/2016/07/why_turkey_s_latest_attempted_coup_was_different.html

Unfortunately, I'm relatively ignorant of the internal political structure of Turkey.

 

[mrmalaya]

This is very convenient for Erdogan. No doubt we will see a purge and new laws to reinforce his party in power.

 

[NeilChapman]

He may push "too hard" and end up with a coup led by the senior military leadership. Those guys would ensure the President is arrested prior to moving forward.

 

[GTX]

Second, Prime Minister Yildirim said anyone who "stands with" Fethullah Gulen, a cleric who is a critic of Erdogan and whom the government blames for this coup, "won't be a friend of Turkey and will be considered at war with Turkey." Gulen lives in the United States.[/list]

Its quite interesting to read into Fethullah Gulen and the Gülen Movement as well as the history/actions taken by Erdogan. Makes one wonder if perhaps the coup succeeding would've have been a good thing...

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I don't think many in the West like Erdogan's autocratic, conservative government but it's not a good idea to support the violent overthrow of democratically elected politicians, even when you don't like them. That's kinda the point of being a democracy.

 

[starviking]

I don't think many in the West like Erdogan's autocratic, conservative government but it's not a good idea to support the violent overthrow of democratically elected politicians, even when you don't like them. That's kinda the point of being a democracy.

The problem is that democracy is majority rule and minority rights. Erdogan completly ignores the latter, to the extent of stoking violence from Kurdish groups to his own political advantage.

 

[Avimimus]

What bothers me is wondering if our leaders will put pressure for fair trials prior to executions? Or an independent press and judiciary?

With both Turkey and Poland undermining the political independence of the courts and the press... I can't help by wonder exactly what NATO is supposed to be defending. Of course, interpretations will differ (e.g. re: the purpose of NATO, and what standards we should have for those wishing to be considered close allies).

 

[robunos]

Exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen accused Recep Erdogan of staging the coup...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3693729/Did-Erdogan-STAGE-coup-based-Turkish-cleric-facing-extradition-botched-rebellion-claims-president-orchestrated-plot-justify-clampdown-civil-rights.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

cheers,
Robin.

 

[Archibald]

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Erdogan is more and more veering toward tyranny and scrapping Ataturk legacy. The Turkish army is a polar opposite of Erdogan, so I'm not really surprised. I think it boiled for a very, very long time, and then enough was enough.
Now Turkey is up for a massive purge and probably more of Erdogan grip on power...

 

[flateric]

At height of Turkish coup bid, rebel jets had Erdogan's plane in their sights
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-turkey-security-plot-insight-idUSKCN0ZX0Q9

 

[Archibald]

A little fun ? the poor shmo that did the comparison was sentenced to years in jail.

 

[r16]

nothing to see here . And those jets supposedly targeting were actually his escorts .

 

[fightingirish]

Can't say, if true.
https://theaviationist. com/2016/07/18/exclusive-all-the-details-about-the-aerial-battle-over-turkey-during-the-military-coup/

 

[r16]

do not read too much into glorified accounts in the media even if it is the established way to assess things . Two thirds of the Airforce officers are from those traitors , all 6 aides are traitors , they are ready to kill civilians , bomb the Parliament but miss the Palace and can somehow load all the bombs to their jets but fail to get AAMs . What happened to M61s ? And by the way , Phantom still rocks !

 

[uk 75]

During the Cold War NATO contained dictatorships in Portugal Greece and Turkey as well as using bases in Franco Spain. The threat from Russia trumped any democratic sensibilities then as now.

 

[Madoc]

Erdogan had been trying to position himself as the main power broker of the region - if not its sultan - for years now. Yet, events in that area have consistently frustrated his attempts. So now he's trying to solidify his grasp on Turkey itself.

There's ample evidence that Erdogan is at least "actively tolerating" ISIS in Syria if not directly supporting it. Those oil tanker truck convoys that Russia blew up last year right at the Syrian / Turkish border made it very clear that Turkey was allowing the sale of ISIS supplied oil through its country. And supporting ISIS makes sense for Turkey in the same way that Pakistan's support of the Taliban in Afghanistan made sense - as a means of controlling and limiting the chaos on its borders.

Unfortunately, Erdogan is proving a tyrant in much the same manner as Hussein and Assad. The events over the past few days make it much more likely that this "coup" was orchestrated by Erdogan to give him the public excuse of purging his regime of the last secular remnants. What is left now is a far more radicalized Islamist mess that will be a very hostile thing for the West and the region to deal with.

Yay us!

 

[Rickshaw]

During the Cold War NATO contained dictatorships in Portugal Greece and Turkey as well as using bases in Franco Spain. The threat from Russia trumped any democratic sensibilities then as now.

And so tyranny is justified...

In my case, my concern for democracy makes me critical of all the short cuts, the easy options and the backing for tyrannical regimes the US and UK has engaged in. It wasn't because they feared the fUSSR, it was because they wanted control. :