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The Grand Turk
Syrian state paper says failed Turkey coup fabricated
2016-07-18
[GLOBALNEWS.CA] A Syrian government newspaper says the failed coup in The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
 was fabricated and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the military.

The daily Al-Thawra said Sunday that the attempted coup was a plot by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him...
 to "avenge the military and strip it of its remaining popular support."

It said police loyal to Erdogan "deliberately humiliated" the army in front of the people.

Erdogan is a strong backer of the holy warriors trying to remove Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
The Scourge of Hama...
 from power in neighboring Syria. The Syrian government views the rebels as terrorists.

Posted by:Fred

#15  Speaking of coups and intrigue, I remember the old CIA axiom, "if you kick the king, you better kill him. "
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2016-07-18 22:41  

#14  Charles, I was thinking this is the road Iran went down, albeit more slowly.

Will we see a Turkish version of the Revolutionary Guards?

At the end of the day Erdogan and everyone around him is a sunni, and all shiia are apostates and heretics to him.

Will we see a long march to the sunni holy sites in Saudi? Right through the Shiia Crescent.
Posted by: phil_b   2016-07-18 20:25  

#13  With all the sympathetic lawyers arrested, when they start to drag all the military personnel through the courts, there will be noone left in the country willing to cross examine, question, or disprove the coup in court as a very obvious ruse (thanks Mullah Richard) or prevent very long jail terms of those arrested.
Posted by: teapot   2016-07-18 19:24  

#12  Phil_B: Not just a Tame one, but without Secularism and a bunch of yes-men, a lame one as well. I expect Turkey's military ability to drastically decrease over the next 5 years and standards slip, enlistment drops, and vehicles break down with no expertise to fix it.
Posted by: Charles   2016-07-18 16:30  

#11  Thinking Phil_B is correct. One of those never let a crisis go to waste deals.
Posted by: Shipman   2016-07-18 15:18  

#10  More likely he knew it was coming and let it happen, so he could implement his purge.

Be interesting to see what he does with a tame military.
Posted by: phil_b   2016-07-18 13:43  

#9  ......recollections of someone telling them to attack parliament or take over half a bridge or whatever

They may have, although I don't believe we'd ever hear about it anymore. Erdogan and his operatives won't let anything like that see the light of day.

Will be interested in seeing what the 'detainees' in Greece have to say, though.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2016-07-18 12:16  

#8  MRichard

interesting hypothesis, but, if that were the case, many of the coup leaders would have signed orders or handwritten instructions or recorded conversations or, at least, recollections of someone telling them to attack parliament or take over half a bridge or whatever
Posted by: lord garth   2016-07-18 11:39  

#7  he would have had to talk military types into doing things that would get them and their families and friends executed

Unless 'someone' (or group) in the military/government said that he/they would strongly support them, but only as a ruse to get them to act.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2016-07-18 10:23  

#6  Erdogan wasted no time going after the judges, almost as if that was part of the plan all along. And I think Assad has more than luck to thank for being alive at this point. He's no stopped clock. He's no strong man like his daddy. But somehow he is still hanging in there.
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2016-07-18 10:06  

#5  With some rather high-cost skin in the game with a critical [moderate Islamic] NATO member, faithful Russian antagonist, and nifty Incirlik Air Base. Did I mention moderate Islamic NATO member ?

It would seem even more odd that, if they did have some indication, even the slightest, that they would not have instantly alerted Erdogan. Tell me, how many thousands of people were involved in the plot again ?

Of course if they (USI) knew, false flag or no, the best thing to do would be to sit back and say nothing. No Embassy evacuation, no US Citizen warning, no evacuation of Insirlik, just claim ignorance and let the kabuki dance play out.

All that's gone missing is the ring leader. Ah yes, good old Fethullah Gülen, 'living the dream' in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Pakistani Dr. Shakil Afridi and filmmaker Nakoula Nakoula must be pounding their fists.

But unfortunately, USI knew nothing of the events unfolding.

Posted by: Besoeker   2016-07-18 08:57  

#4  a lot of speculation on this but I see no way Erdogan could have coordinated this

he would have had to talk military types into doing things that would get them and their families and friends executed

just doesn't add up
Posted by: lord garth   2016-07-18 07:35  

#3  For certain, the coup was used by Erdogan to destroy Turkey's judicial system. With the army gone, the judiciary gone, the legislative system hamstrung, the press quashed, and the police under his control, Erdogan is now nothing less than Turkey's dictator.
Posted by: Voldemort Barnsmell8316   2016-07-18 07:26  

#2  The ruling ANC takes the Obama lead in support of Erdogan. Birds of a feather, so to speak:

“South Africa supports democracy and the rule of law and we are of the firm view that the will of the people must be respected‚” the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement. Link
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-07-18 04:31  

#1  Stopped clock?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2016-07-18 04:23  

00:00