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Update: The coup appears to have been unsuccessful, and President Erdogan's plane is reportedly landing in Istanbul.
Update 2: Erdogan appears poised to reassert his power: "After the earlier recorded statement from Erdogan, the president is now addressing the media. He says the uprising was an act of treason and those responsible will pay a heavy price. It was carried out by a minority within the military who can't stomach unity of the country, Erdogan says. He says the uprising will be a reason to clean up the army."
Attempted military coup in Turkey
A faction of the Turkish military is attempting a coup in Turkey (alternative link) claiming that "democratic and secular rule of law has been eroded by the Erdogan government" and control is now in the hands of a "Peace Council". Reports of bridges over the Bosporos blocked to traffic, heavy police and military presence in Istanbul with exchanges of gunfire reported, low flying military aircraft over the city and all airports in the country are now closed. Social media services, Facebook, Twitter, etc., appear to have been blocked. President Erdogan is reportedly "safe" and expected to make a statement soon.
Turkey's military has officially declared a coup and said that it has "taken control of the country" [and] wants "to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated."
The military statement went on to say that "all international agreements and commitments will remain. We pledge that good relations with all world countries will continue."
[...] Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that a number of generals are involved in the takeover of the government. He vowed that the "perpetrators" will be contained, adding that the government "will never give up democracy". [...] Istanbul's Ataturk international airport has been shut down, and all flights have been cancelled.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/turkey-military-blocks-bridges-istanbul-160715195444742.html
Turkey Coup
The Turkish military traditionally considered itself the protector of the secular nature of the Turkish State. Since about 21:30h CET it appears they -- or at least a part of the Turkish Army -- has acted on this traditional role.
The bridges over the Bosporus, connecting the European and the Asian parts of Istanbul, have been occupied by the military -- soldiers shouting that a curfew has been imposed. Istanbul airport has been shut down, and the borders sealed off. Shots have been heard in the neigborhood of both Army Headquarters, and the headquarter of the ruling AKP party. Rumor has it that the Chief Staff of the Army -- an Erdogan sympathizer -- has been taken hostage in the Army Headquarters. Rumors are that military and police are standing opposed to each other in Istanbul, while Police and/or Army helicopters slowly circle over the city, and tanks have appeared in the streets.
The action isn't limited to Istanbul -- reports of unrest are also coming in from Izmir and Ankara.
Reports coming in from anonymous sources within the EU diplomatic services claim that a significant part of the Army is behind the coup, which appears to be well planned. President Erdogan, apparently currently in Mongolia, has called upon the Turkish people to go on the streets, negating the evening clock reported to be installed by the military.
The last military coup in Turkey dates from 1980.
Original Submission #1 Original Submission #2 Original Submission #3
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday July 16 2016, @12:55AM
...not if they remove the theocratic elements and embrace secularism once again.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 16 2016, @01:13AM
The only way their countries have a secular government for more than 5 minutes is with a dictator, which would prevent them from entering the EU.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by bob_super on Saturday July 16 2016, @01:16AM
"My neighbor stopped attracting both a nasty crowd and the cops, and he bought a clean car and mowed the lawn...
It will still be quite a little while before the wife lets him house-sit".
The Christian club isn't looking forward to admitting the non-Christian neighbor who would be the biggest country in the union, and add unpleasant neighbors. Geographically, it would cause more trouble too, as others non-Europeans could point to Turkey to try to join next.
During the Clinton years, this could have reluctantly happened, but since W launched his fear crusade, trying to expand the EU Eastward would blow up the whole thing and put the extreme-right in power in half the countries (not sure in which order).
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday July 16 2016, @01:30AM
What is this "Christian club" of which you speak? The leadership of European countries have outwardly embraced Islamic refugeeism even in the face of Islam-inspired murders. The point of that is to defeat the wills of their populace, rendering that populace politically useless, rather than do anything meaningful. Christian churches are the useful idiots bringing those Islamic savages into your country. The goal is to break your will, and until you have the balls to stand up and fight, then you will lose and be subject to horrors beyond your imagination.
Yes, Turqui is sitting on a prime-piece of real-estate, from the perspective of those stuck in the cold-war mentality. If your comment had any merit, then you'd address the unvetted self-destructive "refugee" policies civilized European nations embrace.
Remember, a lot of modern security policy with respect to clearance addresses minimizing embarassment rather than protecting the super-secret intergalactic hyperdrive technology.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Saturday July 16 2016, @01:35AM
For those of you who wanted a link. [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 1) by kurenai.tsubasa on Saturday July 16 2016, @06:25AM
Won't happen. [cnn.com]
Now how could the lizard people advance the coming shitstorm if Turkey became a secularist 21st century state?
Sad it was over so quickly. What's it called? The Yinon plan or something…?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday July 16 2016, @02:06PM
Turkey has been a secular state since Attaturk. It's Erdogan who's been unwinding that. So a military coup to restore secularism would be a return to status quo ante.
Washington DC delenda est.