USA -based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers Turkey blames for a failed coup, said on Saturday the attempted overthrow may have been staged, and he urged the Turkish people not to view military intervention in a positive light.
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Gulen denies playing any part in the coup by elements within Turkey’s army and air force, deployed to devastating use in bombing the parliament building in Ankara and striking civilians from helicopter gunships. “This was done from outside the chain of command”, Erdogan said of the military. Our President and Government are in charge.
“It appears that they have no tolerance for any movement, any group, any organization that is not under their total control”, he said.
Furthermore, Erdogan had fallen out of favor among Western leaders in recent months after repeated crackdowns on journalists, legal maneuvering to outlaw dissenters, forging a constitutional amendment revoking legislative immunity for opposition lawmakers, and seizure of almost full control of the country’s executive and legislative powers with the tacit consent of Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
SMART PHONE ADDRESS In a night that sometimes verged on the freaky, Erdogan took to social media even though he is an avowed enemy of the technology when his opponents use it, frequently targeting Twitter and Facebook.
The back-and-forth occurred against the backdrop of Turkey closing its airspace, effectively grounding USA warplanes that had been targeting Islamic State forces in neighboring Syria and Iraq.
“It will allow him (Erdogan) to crack down on liberty and freedom of association, assembly, expression and media in ways that we haven’t seen before and find strong public support within the country”, he said.
“All of that continues as before”, Kerry said.
He added that the attempted coup happened because these military officers weren’t going to receive any promotions in August, which is the annual timing for military promotions and position changes, saying that they are Gulenists and can not be trusted inside the military system, and would therefore get no more than a desk position.
The coup attempt began late Friday with tanks rolling into the streets of the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul as Erdogan was enjoying a seaside vacation.
Erdogan said Saturday that the military faction responsible for the uprising “will pay a heavy price for their treason”.
It appears the most senior members of Turkey’s military did not support the uprising and the main opposition parties condemned the attempted overthrow. He persuaded businessmen to set up dormitories for needy students, according to a 2008 biography by journalist Faruk Mercan.
The Minister reiterated Qatar’s solidarity with Turkey in all legal measures the legitimate government takes to maintain the security and stability of Turkey and its people in the wake of the failed coup. A year later, he was charged with forming a terrorist group to undermine the secular state. Ten members of Turkey’s highest administrative court were detained and arrest warrants were issued for 48 administrative court members and 140 members of Turkey’s appeals court, state media reported.
Q: Weren’t Gulen and Erdogan once friends? His followers were heavily represented in the police and justice systems.
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Gulen and Erdogan have been twin centers of power in Turkey for years, at one time close allies who eventually grew estranged as the cleric became critical of Erdogan’s moves to consolidate power. The graft allegations were eventually thrown out when the government dismissed police and prosecutors working on the case. He always blames his former ally Fethullah Gulen, who is also his current bitter enemy, of trying to set him up to topple his regime.
