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Military Coup in Turkey

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Domh245

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Something strange is happening in Turkey. Soldiers have closed off the bridges over the Bosphorous and are now claiming to have taken power.


An army group in Turkey says it has taken control of the country, with bridges closed in Istanbul and aircraft flying low over Ankara.
PM Binali Yildirim earlier denounced an "illegal action" by a military "group", stressing it was not a coup. He said that the government remained in charge.
Traffic has been stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges in Istanbul.
There are reports of gunshots in the capital Ankara.
Gunfire was also heard outside Istanbul police HQ and tanks are said to be stationed outside Istanbul airport. All flights are cancelled.
CNN Turk reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was "safe" but did not elaborate.
A statement from the military group read out on NTV television said: "The power in the country has been seized in its entirety." Who represents the group remains uncertain.
But Mr Yildirim told NTV by telephone: "We are working on the possibility of an attempt. We will not allow this attempt.
"Those who are in this illegal act will pay the highest price," he added, saying it would not be correct to describe the move as a "coup".
He said: "There was an illegal act by a group within the military that was acting out of the chain of military command. Our people should know that we will not allow any activity that would harm democracy."
There are reports Turkey's top general has been taken hostage at the military HQ.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36809083

BBC Live thread

Edit: A Military Group have now been on the official TV network claiming that they've taken control "for democratic order"
 
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yorksrob

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President Erdogan has been pushing boundaries for some time. I can't say as I'm surprised.
 

Busaholic

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Well, we can all sleep better in our beds knowing our Foreign Secretary will keep us safe.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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President Erdogan has been pushing boundaries for some time. I can't say as I'm surprised.

It is less than 100 years ago, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, that the former Turkish army officer, Mustafa Kemel Ataturk led the country into his ideal of a secular state as the first President of Turkey.

The army in Turkey still hold a secular state to be a better option than the ever moving to theocratic ideas that slowly have been surfacing since the 1990's and what has occurred here will be similar to what occurred in Egypt, when the Muslim Brotherhood took power.

The establishment of ISIL in Iraq and Syria with their strict Wahaabist theology is anathema to those in Turkey who hold true to what Ataturk set up in 1924.
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I would not be surprised if the Kurds seize this opportunity.

They will do this at their peril, as having taken power, the Turkish armed forces will put on a show of strength as a deterrent to neighbouring counties.
 

Harbornite

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This is an interesting turn of events, the army claim they are doing it for democratic reasons so it can't be that bad. Erdogan has not been a good leader and there has been a number of changes in Turkey for the worse, with regard to protests and the press.
 

Gutfright

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Especially as Boris hasn't made up any limericks about Erdogan having sex with a goat or anything...

I can see the conspiracy theorists tapping away at their keyboards. BoJo has been Foreign Secretary for two seconds and already Erdoğan is being overthrown...
 

miami

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In the UK we may have our differences, May, Corbyn, Farage, Sturgeon, and the Palaptine of them all - Murdoch, I can't see the UK ever degenerating into this situation. America, yea I can see that, but not the UK.
 

Butts

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Looks like the coup has failed with Erdogan back in control and hundreds of Army Personnel arrested.
 

mikeg

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Agreed that in the near-term its unlikely in this country. But in Turkey there are a wide range of parties with a wide range of views, many of which operate openly. It's more that the AKP just trumps them all in terms of popularity and the opposition is simply too fragmented. Sound familiar? Actually it shouldn't. For a start we don't have such a strong personality leading politics here. Not sure what to think of the Turkish coup, though its clear Erdogan has long had contempt for democracy and freedom.
 

Steveman

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Shame that the army who have always been heavily secularist have failed to unseat Erdogan who is fast taking a constitutionally secular state down the route of Islamist fascist dictatorship.
Will happen again and next time it may well work.
 

azz7008

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Shame that the army who have always been heavily secularist have failed to unseat Erdogan who is fast taking a constitutionally secular state down the route of Islamist fascist dictatorship.
Will happen again and next time it may well work.


Totally agree. Some people this morning saying that today is a day for democracy, but they fail to see the irony that either way wasn't good for democracy.

Seems to be that Obama had a tip off that the coup was failing, hence why he supported Erdogan.
 

TheKnightWho

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Totally agree. Some people this morning saying that today is a day for democracy, but they fail to see the irony that either way wasn't good for democracy.

Seems to be that Obama had a tip off that the coup was failing, hence why he supported Erdogan.

Erdogan has been curtailing democratic rights in Turkey for years now - as always, democracy does not stop at the ballot box.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Looks like the coup has failed with Erdogan back in control and hundreds of Army Personnel arrested.

Over 2,800 arrested at the last count. That is a very large number to add to their prison population at one fell swoop.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Shame that the army who have always been heavily secularist have failed to unseat Erdogan who is fast taking a constitutionally secular state down the route of Islamist fascist dictatorship.
Will happen again and next time it may well work.

Any thoughts on how those ideas will be viewed by those dealing with Turkey's aspiration to joint the European Union?
 

Butts

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I do hope The Prisons have improved since "Midnight Express" days for those about to be incarcerated - watch out for coat hooks :p
 

Harbornite

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It has been suggested that some of the generals involved might be executed.
 

miami

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With 2700 Judges being 'sacked' I'm not sure who will be putting the coup participants in prison

The hardliners that remain. I suspect the death penalty will apply for anyone involved in last nights events (and anyone that's helpful to blame)
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Over 2,800 arrested at the last count. That is a very large number to add to their prison population at one fell swoop.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Any thoughts on how those ideas will be viewed by those dealing with Turkey's aspiration to joint the European Union?

In 2014 Turkey sent an average of 468 people per day to prison, or 3,274 per week, so it's not that large a number.
 

miami

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Agreed, but this figure of 2,800+ will be IN ADDITION to the normal weekly figure.

Perhaps, perhaps people will behave better over the next few months and the number imprisoned will actually fall

Given that the in 2014 they sent an additional 725 per person per month than in 2013, and it may well take 3 months to process all these 2800, the delta of 2016 vs 2015 will be similar to the delta of 2014 vs 2013
 

DarloRich

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With 2700 Judges being 'sacked' I'm not sure who will be putting the coup participants in prison

reliable stooges!

This will all be used as an excuse to "purge" those with different views fomr thier positions and replace the with adherents of the system the Turkish premier wants to install in what is supposed to be a secular society.
 

Groningen

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Sorry to say this, but i see some similar with Hitler. In several cities in Europe Turks came out in support of Erdogan. Someone who does not like him gets often a stone through the window.
 

miami

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Sorry to say this, but i see some similar with Hitler. In several cities in Europe Turks came out in support of Erdogan. Someone who does not like him gets often a stone through the window.

Corbyn on the march?

Or Trump?
 
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