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People are now saying that Erdogan staged it because in his speech he said something like they are not going back to the old (secular) Turkey and that he would be cleaning out the military who is the guardian of the secular state and keeping his desired religion influenced government (according to Sky News)
WHY WOULD THE MILITARY INTERVENE IN GOVERNMENT?
The Turkish military has traditionally seen itself as the guardian of Turkey's old secular establishment, a legacy of national founder and former army officer Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as well as an enforcer of order in times of civil unrest and weak civilian leadership. While it was forced to lower its political profile in the past decade under Erdogan's government, the country has increasingly been buffeted by an upswing in the conflict with Kurdish separatist rebels, bombings by suspected Islamic extremists - including an attack on Istanbul's main airport last month that killed dozens - and concern over the war in neighboring Syria that has pushed huge numbers of refugees across the border into Turkey. Erdogan has also been a polarizing leader with a combative streak, even though he commands deep support among a pious Muslim class that once felt marginalized under past military-influenced governments.
WHY IS THE TURKISH MILITARY IMPORTANT?
The military of NATO member Turkey is a key partner in U.S.-led efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, which controls territory in Syria and Iraq, and has allowed American jets to use its Incirlik air base to fly missions against the extremists. Erdogan recently sought to repair strained ties with Russia after Turkey shot down a Russian jet that had been flying a mission against rebels in Syria, killing a pilot.
Turkey's location in the turbulent Mideast region, straddling the Asian and European continents, has made it a critical player in international conflicts in the past. In 2003, Turkey barred U.S. forces from opening a northern front in the war against Saddam Hussein in Iraq in a stunning rebuff to Washington that raised questions about whether the politically powerful Turkish military had undercut a civilian-led initiative to help the Americans.
So...how does that work? Erdogan was elected but he is turning the secular government into a religious one? So he stages the coup in order to "justify" eliminating enemies in the military who do not want a religious government??
Talk slowly so I understand, lol.
I think we have to be careful on grabbing on to any simple messages here. I have had the impression (over the last year or so) that many in Turkey don't like Erdogan, but, as I've learned from the outcome of the "Arab Spring", nothing is ever as simple as it is portrayed in the media.
I am just watching and trying to learn.
Obama is expressing concern about an uprising. What does he know that we don't? He cares about the future of the U.S. Is U.S. intelligence giving him insight that we don't have?
In any case I continue to hope for peace and respect in Turkey. They've had a tough year!
So...how does that work? Erdogan was elected but he is turning the secular government into a religious one? So he stages the coup in order to "justify" eliminating enemies in the military who do not want a religious government??
Talk slowly so I understand, lol.
I hunk both sides are putting out their own propaganda, and the truth has yet to see the light of day. Unfortunately, SM and television is able to be controls by the powers that be. So, I guess people tend to believe what ever little information they see, whether it's true or not.Just checked Twitter....and during a quick scroll, I saw posts that Erdagan is in control and coup is over....and that the military is in control and the coup is over....and that the coup continues.
Definitely a mess.
Just checked Twitter....and during a quick scroll, I saw posts that Erdagan is in control and coup is over....and that the military is in control and the coup is over....and that the coup continues.
Definitely a mess.
NTV television is quoting the prosecutor's office in Ankara saying at least 42 people have been killed in "attacks" in the capital.
According to Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, the number of soldiers who were arrested in the coup plot has increased to 130.
I lived in Turkey for 2+ years as a child when my Dad was stationed there in the USAF in the mid-to-late 1960s...some of my earliest memories are of learning to play Chinese Checkers by candlelight, and the never-ending war with my Dad constantly taking my blue fingerpaint for the car headlights - all to deal with the blackouts when Greece and Turkey were fighting yet again �� We still have Turkish friends we correspond with all these years later, and I have several treasured articles in my home that remind me of our time there!!
Turkey was the first secular democracy in a predominantly Muslim country, which was awesome for NATO and the west, not so warmly received by the Islamic countries of the Middle East, or the USSR and Warsaw Pact countries. The struggle between the Islamists and secular democracy is almost as old as the region...I agree with those rooting for the military as Erdogan has brought Turkey the closest to Islamic rule since Ataturk established the secular democracy over 60 years ago. Should he succeed, the world as we know it will get even more complicated to navigate, IMO.
Westie Mom
Speaking on national television from Istanbul, Erdogan said the government was arresting coup supporters in the military and "they will pay a heavy price for their treason to Turkey," according to a transcript of his remarks provided by his office. "Those who stain the military's reputation must leave. The process has started today and it will continue just as we fight other terrorist groups."
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, speaking to state-run Anadolu Agency, said more than 120 arrests were made.
Erdogan, who said his general secretary had been abducted by the coup plotters, flew into Istanbul's Ataturk airport early Saturday and was greeted by large crowds. Hours earlier, as the coup attempt got under way, his office had declined to say where he was, and he was forced to give an interview over FaceTime to a television station.
I also have fond memories of Turkey in my youth. As a side note, though Turkey is a democracy and far more of democracy than any other country in the region, there has always been a rough edge to that democracy.I lived in Turkey for 2+ years as a child when my
Turkey was the first secular democracy in a predominantly Muslim country, which was awesome for NATO and the west, not so warmly received by the Islamic countries of the Middle East, or the USSR and Warsaw Pact countries. The struggle between the Islamists and secular democracy is almost as old as the region.
Thank you!! I am so clueless about Turkey and how they operate. So is this the entire military in Turkey waging the coup or just a portion of the military?
It depends on what Turk you ask.So...how does that work? Erdogan was elected but he is turning the secular government into a religious one? So he stages the coup in order to "justify" eliminating enemies in the military who do not want a religious government??
Talk slowly so I understand, lol.