There have long been tensions between the military – which sees itself as the protector of the secular Turkish state – and Erdogan’s Islamic-influenced AKP party.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Forces loyal to Turkey’s president quashed a coup attempt in a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left some 250 people dead and over 1,400 wounded Saturday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that those responsible “will pay a heavy price for their treason” as authorities arrested or dismissed thousands of troops and judges.
The chaos Friday night and Saturday came amid a period of political turmoil in Turkey – a NATO member and key Western ally in the fight against the Islamic State group – that critics blame on Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule. Staying in power by switching from being prime minister to president,Erdogan has shaken up the government, cracked down on dissidents, restricted the news media and renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels.
The government has also come under pressure from hosting millions of refugees who have fled violence in neighboring Syria and Iraq, and from a series of bloody attacks blamed on Islamic State extremists and Kurdish rebels. MORE
And if he was behind the coup as an excuse to purge?
This tyrant is an azzhole buddy with Obama.
Don’t ever give up your guns, America. 👿
If they had gotten Erdogan, the coup might have stood a fighting chance.
Somebody over there needed to watch Valkyrie.
😉
The first rule in killing the king is to kill the king.
All other options wind up with a firing squad.
I agree smells fishy. Erdogan ready to move out at a moments notice, not one of the NATO countries smelled any inkling of this happening and then the coup is crushed faster than the USA men’s basketball team beating Trinidad & Tobago?????
Now we are hearing judges, military leaders, political opponents are being arrested and he wants to reinstate a firing squad? Obummer saying everybody must support him? Yeah this has all the earmarks of a fake coup to consolidate power. Wonder if Obummer is getting ideas from this.
Name one islamic movement that Obama and clinton has not encouraged, supported, financed and armed?
Yeah Turkey, that’s the kind of anti-democracy islamic regime we need in NATO. An Enemy within who wishes to reestablish the ottoman empire.
@ mrhanoverfist
http://www.dangerouscreation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Machiavelli.jpg
Another world “leader” who should just STFU.
This is Erdogan’s Reichstag fire.
Turkeys descent into hell is now irreversible.
Warning, everyone knows damn well that Hussein Obutthole is planning the same phony coup maneuver here!