There’s been breaking news of a coup in Turkey, which is both surprising in the specific sense and not remotely shocking in the general.
Right now there are many vague and often conflicting reports. We don’t know who is involved where they are. Some reports suggest it’s already over, although I doubt that very much given other information coming through.
Current event thread in IMHO. Unfortunately attracting a little non-current event commentary of course, as is the nature of such things ;).
Doesn’t seem to be an all out military coup like the last few ones were, as only 2 cities seem to be in unrest.
This is the modern version of the night of the long knives. Who can oppose Erdogan now? His political opponents are driven to exile or arrested, and now there’s a convenient excuse to accelerate the army purges. Turkey is transitioning into an Islamist dictatorship, and today was the tipping point.
Can’t help but agree. I feel that once the coup started it would have been better for everyone, in the long run, that it succeeded.
On the upside, this should hopefully put to rest any notions of Turkey joining the EU.
It’s going to be bloody, for sure. Erdogan was already a threat to the military and this was probably a desperate attempt to save freedom and secularism, which the other half of Turks wanted. Too little, too late it seems. We’re seeing what happens when the religious majority gets their way.
I certainly hope this is the end of their EU aspirations, but who knows these days.
The BBC is saying the coup has failed and the government is back in control. Doesn’t sound like it was too bloody, though I assume those in command are going to get fairly harsh punishments for the attempted coup.
Dang. I was really hoping they could pull it off. Now Erdogan is going to be even more of an asshole.
I’d have to wonder just how secular and democratic and stable a military government would be there. The people gave Turkey Erdogan’s Islamism democratically, and would again, especially with a grievance against military intervention.
If that’s really what was happening there.
Like I said in the other thread, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was an orchestrated plot to frame the Gulen movement and strengthen Erdogans stranglehold on Turkish politics.