As if not enough is going on, it appears that there is a coup attempt by the military in Turkey. http://nyti.ms/29E5o4X

What has to be taken into consideration is the unusual role the military plays when it comes to ensuring secularism, for example.

 

Definitely something to watch given proximity to terrorism hotspots and Syrian refugee situation.

 

Saw an interesting update/hypothesis a few minutes ago: This all may have been a ruse, a bit of Machiavellian stagecraft implemented by Turkish leader Erdogan intended only to provide perceptual legitimacy to his implementation of heightened authoritarian rule (time will tell, but evidence suggests that him consolidating power is most likely outcome we see next)

Sounds a bit far-fetched as Turkish military has a history of toppling overly religious governments. As far as I can tell Edrogan has been accumulating power anyway.

This was a long time coming, considering the direction Erdogan has been taking the country in during the past few years, and the constitutional role of the military in preserving Turkey's secularism.

Whichever way it goes, I do hope there's little bloodshed.

Well, according to German news, it appears that Erdogan may have won and has already declared cleansing of the military...

Sounds a bit far-fetched as Turkish military has a history of toppling overly religious governments. As far as I can tell Edrogan has been accumulating power anyway.

Exactly, which is why I accept the reasonable possibility that this was merely theater to accumulate more of said power.

 

Of course, I speculate. Could be badly mistaken and even misguided. No argument there.

 

That history of secular support of democracy from the military you cite, however, seems undermined by the fact that most in the military do not actually support the actions taken today by a relatively unpowerful few.

 

This was IMO a stunt. The open question is who initiated and amplified it. My money is on Erdogan himself, though I readily stipulate the possibility of error in my suggestion.

there have been a few attempts at coups during his Prime Ministership and Presidency.

Each time his popularity has surged.

Maybe this one will put him over the top, on his way to dictatorship.

 

I'd be betting with you.

The way it panned out makes it more likely, at least.

Yeah, this is looking suspiciously like a Turkish Reichstag fire at this point.

 

I guess we'll see.

^nice reference!

"BREAKING - Turkeys top judicial body HSYK lays off 2,745 judges after extraordinary meeting"

(That's 40% from all 7000)

 

What judges had to do with the coup???

 

https://twitter.com/DailySabah/status/754281012587356160

 

I attached screen-shot just in case tweet removed/blocked etc..

Edited July 16, 20169 yr by Sensei

If you have an excuse to purge your government, you purge it all at once. That's what they have to do with the coup.

The irony of the situation is that, under Erdogan, the Turkish population are democratically choosing to become less democratic. Edogan wants an autocratic grip like Vladimir Putin, it seems.

Edited July 16, 20169 yr by StringJunky

Edogan wants an autocratic grip like Vladimir Putin, it seems.

Don't write name of this war criminal mass murderer from large letter, who killed 80 Dutch children..

Not to mention thousands of innocent Ukrainians..

"BREAKING - Turkeys top judicial body HSYK lays off 2,745 judges after extraordinary meeting"

(That's 40% from all 7000)

 

What judges had to do with the coup???

 

https://twitter.com/DailySabah/status/754281012587356160

 

I attached screen-shot just in case tweet removed/blocked etc..

News 1.png

Looks like with 40% of the judges laid off, more injustice will be done, at least I imagine as they would have to rush through cases to get them done. Which in the end, probably gives Erdogan an advantage in silencing others.

Edited July 20, 20169 yr by Overthinker301

This was a long time coming, considering the direction Erdogan has been taking the country in during the past few years, and the constitutional role of the military in preserving Turkey's secularism.

Whichever way it goes, I do hope there's little bloodshed.

During the coup, at least 290 people were killed and more than a thousand were injured. source wiki

 

That is more than 3 Nice Trucks in this new unit.

And i have the slight feeling that the 290 figure does not take count of victims in the rebels.