Turkey Army in Coup Attempt

[has]

Crazy stuff happening in Turkey.

 

https://www.rt.com/news/351334-ankara-shooting-jets-helicopters/

[localzuk]

Bonkers. A coup in a European country in 2016!

[has]

It may be a good thing. If the Turkish government breaking human rights laws, helping terrorists etc then the military should intervene.

 

P.S. Turkey isn't in Europe but could be in year 3000

[pcstru]

Possible reaction to impending visit by Boris?

[Arthur]

Bonkers. A coup in a European country in 2016!

A coup was overdue in Turkey.

 

http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/turkey-government/491579/?single_page=true

 

News of a coup in Turkey came as a surprise to the world, but not as great a surprise as it might have been in some countries. In the second half of the 20th century, the nation fell into a pattern of semi-regular military coups, and by that rhythm, it was in fact overdue. Previous coups came in in 1960, 1971, 1980, and 1997, so that the 19-year gap between the last uprising and today was notably long.

 

Modern Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal, a general in the Turkish Army who was later formally granted the surname “Ataturk,” or father of the Turks. Ataturk set about an aggressive program of modernizing and “Westernizing” the country, pushing religion to the margins, banning certain apparel like headscarves and fezes, and converting Turkish from Arabic to Latin script. But that secularism has always remained tenuous. Many Turks, especially rural ones, are religious, and not all of the reforms have remained popular.

 

The military has long seen its role as safeguarding Ataturk’s secularist agenda, and when it worries the government is shifting too far away, it has tended to take action. The first coup, in 1960, was a response to two currents: Prime Minister Adnan Menderes was both making overtures to Moscow and opening up to religion, reopening shuttered mosques, allowing the call to prayer to be sung in Arabic and more. A few dozen officers launched a coup in May 1960. Menderes was executed the following year after being convicted of violating the constitution.

 

The military relinquished control to civilians in 1965, when Süleyman Demirel was elected. But by 1971, growing unrest had emboldened Islamists, and the military again stepped in. This time, it did not launch tanks but instead delivered an ultimatum to Demirel, demanding “the formation, within the context of democratic principles, of a strong and credible government, which will neutralize the current anarchical situation and which, inspired by Atatürk's views, will implement the reformist laws envisaged by the constitution.” Demirel resigned; the military did not directly take control.

 

Nine years later, amid continued instability, the military again intervened, this time seizing power and holding it for three years. There followed a period of relative political stability. But in 1997, generals decided to depose Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, the head of an Islamist party. The military again enacted a coup by memo, forcing Erbakan’s resignation and banning him from politics.

 

Turkey has thus occupied a strange position in world politics: Although it is prone to coups d’etat, Western governments have often cheered the coups on, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, because they are in the service of a secular agenda. Periodic deposition of democratically leaders has, somewhat paradoxically, been treated as a small price to pay for ensuring liberalism.

 

Also...

 

It is worth noting that according to the Foreign Assistance Act, the United States is legally required to cut off foreign aid to a country where the military has staged a successful coup. If this coup in Turkey succeeds, it would likely complicate the fight against ISIS, in which Turkey is a key ally, as well as other regional diplomatic endeavors.

[elsiegee40]

I can't help feeling sad about what's happening to Turkey. We stayed in Istanbul a couple of years ago and I was astonished how safe I felt there. I happily walked through the city centre on my own without being bothered - not something a white, european, female tourist can say in many places.

[localzuk]

Now that it has failed, I fear that Erdogan is going to feel emboldened to transform the country into even more of a theocracy, and he'll act as even more of a dictator.

[localzuk]

LiveLeak.com - Tank Drives Over Citizen

 

Seams like a complete and utter mess.

 

Can't argue with that assessment! Apparently, in response to the crowds of civilians coming out into the streets, the military units involved in the coup opened up on the crowd. Appalling and terrible altogether.

[penfold_99]

Given the scale of the purge by their president it does have the hallmarks of a false flag operation.

 

Why else would they instantly arrest judges, ban teachers etc if it were not pre planned.

[localzuk]

There have been over 20,000 people removed from their jobs or arrested now. Its amazing how so many people managed to keep the coup secret...