Possible Coup Underway In Turkey

[Kutnupe14]

It appears Istanbul the coup is failing while there is quite a different story in Ankara. Turkish fighter shoots down military helicopter. If the conspirators have control of the air force, and president is flying home, the can end this fairly easily.

 

[mrjarrell]

The enemy? Read what you wrote again, and try and figure out why there's no problem with the president's statement. My personal opinion, stay out of it.

I agree. We should stay out of it and, under normal circumstances I would even find myself in agreement with Obama, but Erdogan has increasingly been heading in an autocratic and islamist direction. That's really antithetical to the very founding of the Turkish republic. He's all but actively supported IS and done nothing, as a NATO ally to help combat them. I'm not going to shed a tear if the coup is successful and he finds himself cracking rocks.

 

[Kutnupe14]

I agree. We should stay out of it and, under normal circumstances I would even find myself in agreement with Obama, but Erdogan has increasingly been heading in an autocratic and islamist direction. That's really antithetical to the very founding of the Turkish republic. He's all but actively supported IS and done nothing, as a NATO ally to help combat them. I'm not going to shed a tear if the coup is successful and he finds himself cracking rocks.

As Americans, we are the shining light on the hill. We don't have to like it. We don't have to support it, but we do have to respect the will of the people of a sovereign nation with a democratically elected government. If their democracy poses a direct threat to the lives of of Americans, at that point we will have to address it.

Kut (prefers we not be hypocrites)

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Erdogan lands at Istanbul airport, met by supporters amid coup attempt

Coup supporters probably will not go down w/out a fight. Surrender means getting hanged.

Turkish PM says one lawmaker was killed in the parliament bombing

Profound irony of Erdogan using Twitter to call on his supporters to take to the streets, after trying to ban it for years

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Erdogan blaming Gulenists, who will undoubtedly all be purged now. Great opportunity for him to "refresh" the military and fill it with his desired Islamists.

Unfortunately... the Turks want an Islamist strongman... so this coup was definitely a longshot.

 

[bwframe]

Looking for more details on this.

Looking as if radical Islam might be the victor here?

Gillian Turner on FNC is certainly smoking hot, but she is obviously quite the liberal. Taking the Obama/Muslim end?

 

[Kutnupe14]

Looking for more details on this.

Looking as if radical Islam might be the victor here?

Gillian Turner on FNC is certainly smoking hot, but she is obviously quite the liberal. Taking the Obama/Muslim end?

Way to complicated. They were cheering in Damascus upon learning of the attempted coup.

 

[Expat]

Looking for more details on this.

Looking as if radical Islam might be the victor?

Sure looks like it. The Turkish people have spoken. They apparently have rejected secularism and embraced Islamism.

 

[pudly]

Report: Turkish military coup fails and hundreds are arrested as Erdogan vows revenge | Daily Mail Online

 

[Birds Away]

Worst of all possible outcomes.

 

[Kutnupe14]

Sure looks like it. The Turkish people have spoken. They apparently have rejected secularism and embraced Islamism.

From what Ive been reading, its not an embracing of Islamism, but a rejection of military dictatorship. Ero was elected at the very least. Let me put it this way, though he's not really as bad, would you support a military coup against our current president, and the subsequent rounding up of people in his cabinet, and supporters? Sure it might be a arm and fuzzy thought to some, but when push comes to shove I doubt many would support it.

 

[BugI02]

First, I wonder if this wasn't precipitated in part by Erdogan's caving to Putin on the apology thing. If I'm a Turkish military leader, and my crew successfully shoots down a Russian plane in Turkish airspace, and my CINC APOLOGIZES for it? I think I'd be pissed.

Second, though, maybe it is just everything else going on, but I've got a bad feeling about this. Yeah, I'm familiar with the history (although not as familiar as some of you, clearly) so I see the pattern. I'm just not convinced yet that this is the same thing.

I hope you guys are right.

You need to be more paranoid. Picture Erdogan's security people finding out about the coup. If you're Erdogan and you're sure it won't have enough resources to succeed, what better way to push past resistance to your complete take-over?

Brief bloody coup that fails followed by state of emergency/martial law and you become the Putin of the Bosporus (your goal all along)

Swear allegience to the caliphate, play your cards right and BECOME the Caliph

 

[BugI02]

So ... Too paranoid or not paranoid enough? That's always the rub

 

[bwframe]

Turkey went off the rails when Hilary Clinton was our head diplomat. This and many other foreign policy disasters are coming to light at an appropriate time to hopefully save us from her.

 

[KLB]

You need to be more paranoid. Picture Erdogan's security people finding out about the coup. If you're Erdogan and you're sure it won't have enough resources to succeed, what better way to push past resistance to your complete take-over?

Brief bloody coup that fails followed by state of emergency/martial law and you become the Putin of the Bosporus (your goal all along)

Swear allegience to the caliphate, play your cards right and BECOME the Caliph

It was an inept bunch.

Why would you try a coup when the sitting President is not even in the country?

Why would you allow major news services to stay on the air to enable the President to get messages out to the people of the country?

 

[Expat]

I would guess that the mutineers were led to believe that more would participate. They were probably set up by stool pigeons.

 

[pudly]

They have dismissed 2,745 judges across the country. Looks like Erdogan is taking this opportunity to reshape the government more to his liking.

The Counter-Coup Begins: Erdogan Purges 2,745 Judges, Prosecutors; Arrests Hundreds | Zero Hedge

Yeah. This is a coup, but I'm beginning to think the military was setup.

When military coups take place in the middle-east, they are i) ruthless, ii) extremely well-organized and planned, and iii) succeed on virtually every occasion. But not this one.

 

[KG1]

They have dismissed 2,745 judges across the country. Looks like Erdogan is taking this opportunity to reshape the government more to his liking.

The Counter-Coup Begins: Erdogan Purges 2,745 Judges, Prosecutors; Arrests Hundreds | Zero Hedge

Yeah. This is a coup, but I'm beginning to think the military was setup.

Setup for a purge.

 

[mrjarrell]

Looks like Erdogan is pointing blame at the US, because his one time ally, now whipping boy, Gulen is living in the US and we won't give him to them. Word is that that Turks have cut off power to Incirlik air base and are blocking entrance and exit. Yeah, they're our buddy. Wonder how long it will be till Obama turns Gulen over to him, even though there's no evidence he was involved in this coup attempt.

Turkey coup attempt: Live updates - BBC News

 

[Dead Duck]

It's probably just a bunch of people playing Pokemon Go and the officials didn't understand what they were seeing.