Attempted Coup in Turkey

[C3]

I have a friend in Turkey right now, with her family visiting her in-laws. I messaged her about an hour ago asking her to check in and they hadn’t heard anything at all (they’re on the Aegean coast). To be fair, it’s very late, but she’s a news/politics junkie and her father-in-law was up watching tv.

[Little_Pig]

@dalej42

Had there ever been a coup in an active NATO member country? Maybe Greece?

This is not the first coup in Turkey. I’m fairly sure there has been a few since the 1960’s.

[Malthus]

From Reuters:

EU source says Turkey coup bid looks substantial, ‘not just a few colonels’

A coup attempt in Turkey involves a substantial part of the military and “not just a few colonels”, a European Union source monitoring events in the EU candidate country said on Friday.

“It looks like a relatively well orchestrated coup by a substantial body of the military, not just a few colonels,” the source told Reuters.

“They’ve got control of the airports and are expecting control over the TV station imminently,” the source said, shortly before state television TRT broadcast a military declaration of martial law.

“They control several strategic points in Istanbul. Given the scale of the operation, it is difficult to imagine they will stop short of prevailing,” the source said.

Another European diplomat said he was attending a dinner with the Turkish ambassador in a European capital when they were interrupted by messages on their mobile phones.

“This is clearly not some tinpot little coup. The Turkish ambassador was clearly shocked and is taking it very seriously,” the diplomat told Reuters as the dinner party broke up.

For what it’s worth.

[Frodo]

That “I’m for democracy except when I don’t like the results” attitude that many posters have makes me sick to my stomach.

[Sage_Rat]

@Uosdwis_R.Dewoh

The terror attack in Nice also conveniently kept the world’s attention away from Turkey.

They couldn’t just plan for a few months and expect word of the planned coup to not get out, so certainly, they were under a pretty close schedule from deciding to go for it, to going for it. But, I would still imagine that there were a few days of planning at least, before the attack was undertaken. It probably had to be today or bust.

I doubt that they’re displeased (strategically) about the Nice attack, but I doubt that it would have affected the timing of the coup.

[Skywatcher]

@Malthus

My guess is that the coup will not succeed, as they haven’t apparently been able to arrest the senior members of the gov’t.

@Sage_Rat

I also don’t feel like the Turkish people would go for it. From what I could tell, when I was there, they were all highly invested in their country, and purportedly Erdogan is quite popular (even if I personally think he’s a buffoon).

@Malthus

Apparently, Erdoğan’s asking for people to “go out into the streets and resist.”

Just heard that people are indeed going into the streets and protesting against the opposing force.

[Sage_Rat]

@Frodo

That “I’m for democracy except when I don’t like the results” attitude that many posters have makes me sick to my stomach.

If Erdogan was legitimately planning to remove democracy from the country, stopping that seems reasonable. One could only hope that our own military does likewise (and then steps down afterwards) should a similar threat ever come to our own country.

Popular presidents are allowed to get away with things that they should not do. Both FDR and Lincoln were caught trying to fiddle with the Supreme Court, for their own political ends, and that’s about as reprehensible thing as a President can do - yet rarely mentioned.

[Frodo]

@Sage_Rat

If Erdogan was legitimately planning to remove democracy from the country, stopping that seems reasonable. One could only hope that our own military does likewise (and then steps down afterwards) should a similar threat ever come to our own country.

And who gave the military the right to decide when a “similar threat” arises?, there are constitutional remedies for an executive that abuses his power. Coups are not among them.

[Rick_Kitchen]

Popular presidents are allowed to get away with things that they should not do. Both FDR and Lincoln were caught trying to fiddle with the Supreme Court, for their own political ends, and that’s about as reprehensible thing as a President can do - yet rarely mentioned.

Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during the Civil War, yet few people talk about that. He exiled anti-war activist Clement Vallandigham to the Confederate side, and had Ambrose Burnside shut down the New York World after it protested the exile.

[Ramira]

@Grumman

Yes, that’s how it works. It’s why the United States has a Bill of Rights which is not subject to being overturned by mere majority rule: because there are things in the world that are more important than democracy.

Wonderful ratoinalising excuse to pretend the cheering of foreign coups has some thing to do with your constitution, when it is the result of the foreign elections you do not like for your own reasons.

democracy for the lesser peoples, if they agree with you.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Malthus

Apparently, Erdoğan was out of the country, so it is most unlikely the coup has him in custody.

The full Turkish military statement reads: “Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and general security that was damaged.

“All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue.”

The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is on holiday and outside the country. Reuters has quoted a source within his office as saying that he is safe.

@Sage_Rat

It’s possible that they could keep him out though. Erdogan doesn’t seem like the type to try and sneak back in, even if it makes more sense.

The Mirror (UK) is reporting that he actually fled the country after the coup had started.

[Asympotically_fat]

The BBC is reporting he was on holiday in Mamaris (in Turkey).

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Asympotically_fat

The BBC is reporting he was on holiday in Mamaris (in Turkey).

So he was on holiday but not on holiday out of the country; got it. Of course, that means his administration lied when it told the press he was out of the country on holiday…

ETA: I re-read that quote and see that it says “on holiday and out of the country”, so I suppose it’s not a lie, it’s just deceitful.

[Sampsiceramos]

Videos popping up of pro-Erdogan civilians evidently managing to successfully resist to some extent - several tank crews have apparently been taken hostage. However, the military has purportedly opened fire on civilians on the Bosphorus bridge.

I fear this may by no means be a bloodless coup, and that Erdogan is leading his supporters to the slaughter by asking them to take to the streets.

[Uosdwis_R.Dewoh]

@Sage_Rat

They couldn’t just plan for a few months and expect word of the planned coup to not get out, so certainly, they were under a pretty close schedule from deciding to go for it, to going for it. But, I would still imagine that there were a few days of planning at least, before the attack was undertaken. It probably had to be today or bust.

I doubt that they’re displeased (strategically) about the Nice attack, but I doubt that it would have affected the timing of the coup.

You might be right but it could be possible that there was a couple of days of leeway for when the coup would have to begin. It would be interesting to find out what kind of security measures, if any, the army implemented right after the attacks in the name of “public safety”. You have to admit it’s the perfect excuse to move loyal troops to strategically important locations without raising a lot of suspicions.

Just to make sure I’m not misunderstood. I am in no way implying that the Turkish army had anything to do with the attack in Nice. They’re just making lemonade from some really crappy lemons.

[Sage_Rat]

@Frodo

And who gave the military the right to decide when a “similar threat” arises?, there are constitutional remedies for an executive that abuses his power. Coups are not among them.

At least in our Constitution, the only remedy against executive abuses of power that I know of is the 2nd Amendment.

[Frodo]

@Ramira

Wonderful ratoinalising excuse to pretend the cheering of foreign coups has some thing to do with your constitution, when it is the result of the foreign elections you do not like for your own reasons.

democracy for the lesser peoples, if they agree with you.

+1

[Frodo]

@Sage_Rat

At least in our Constitution, the only remedy against executive abuses of power that I know of is the 2nd Amendment.

I thought you had impeachment and/or the supreme court (by declaring actions of the executive to be illegal).

[levdrakon]

Turkey’s union of imams calls for Pokemon Go ban in the country

Probably the real reason for the coup.

[Sage_Rat]

@Frodo

I thought you had impeachment and/or the supreme court (by declaring actions of the executive to be illegal).

Having an amendment passed to declare yourself dictator for life isn’t illegal - assuming it was legally passed. It just goes against the intent of the founders of the nation.