On the failed coup to oust Turkey's Erdogan

Below a mix of MSM and Alterative Media on the failed coup.

Alev Scott at TheGuardian
Turkey has defeated a coup – and unleashed a violent mob

At about 11pm on Friday, I was passionately debating Pokémon Go at a dinner party in Istanbul when someone announced that a military coup was taking place. “Really – actual jets? Tanks at the airport – seriously?” Everyone was incredulous, scanning their phones, until someone spotted a helicopter from the balcony. Reality hit home, and we hastily took our leave. In corner shops middle-class locals were hastily stocking up on water and – bizarrely – pet food.

In Taksim Square, finally, proof of the outrageous rumours: soldiers stood to attention around the perimeters of the square with police arrayed warily behind them. By the time I reached home the sound of gunfire was breaking out. At about 3am fighter jets were zooming over my apartment, shattering glass and sending me diving to the floor, while my local mosque called the faithful to the streets to protest against the coup. The night had escalated quickly.

In retrospect the attempted coup was a case of “blink and you’ll miss it”, but at the time it was a long night of confusion and violence as first the army and then police took control of TV stations, and social media buzzed with rumours. As dawn broke, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the coup had failed. Mere hours after soldiers fired on civilians on the Bosphorus Bridge they had surrendered to police. Ferries and trams trundled back to life, and taxis drove people home, navigating broken glass and tanks abandoned on the road. Even at the airport, where terrified passengers had hidden from explosions and where the president made his dramatic address to the people after evading capture, business was returning to normal.

But as the dust clears, the scale of damage – both immediate and long term – has become clear: at least 265 people have died and many more are injured. Parliament has been bombed. More than 6,000 military and judiciary personnel thought to be linked to the coup have been arrested, and an already cowed media fear a similar purge. While Erdogan’s supporters celebrate, many Turks are wondering: what the hell happened – and what next?....

Dated July 16

Scott at the Saker blog (many interesting links within)
Military Coup in Turkey SITREP

Pro-NATO military coup failed after a few hours. The rebels immediately closed the straits of Dardanelles for all ships to stop Russian ships traveling to and from Syria. The coup organizers wanted closer relations with NATO and Washington. Turks want closer relations with Russia, and no Washington. Turks want to survive and eat, and to stay warm in coming winter. They need Russia’s market and Russia’s gas for these. Everyone knows by now that any pro- Washington coup means war, foreign occupation, collapse of economy, misery and civilian deaths. Everyone talks about Ukraine as an example.

1.   Prime Minister of Turkey said that the country protecting the opposition leader Gulan, who is believed to be an organizer of the military coup, cannot be a friend of Turkey. Needless to say, he means the US. It’s a huge step for Turkey towards Russia and Eurasia and away from the West. It looks like Turkey has decided that non-West is winning in a standoff with the West, and that they are not really “Europeans” after all.

2.   The Mayor of Ankara: Russian jet was shot down by people loyal to the shadow government and by a follower of radical cleric Gulen to destroy Turkey’s relations with Russia,

3.    Erdogan demonstrate a miracle of political endurance. He is not Ukraine’s Yanukovich, who is hiding in Rostov. For those saying that military “wanted” to give more freedom to people and to politically solve the Kurds problem. The military coup was pro-Washington and pro-NATO and against Russia. It’s all we need to know. I don’t support Erdogan’s polices to keep many people in jails including the military officers and journalists, but he is good for Russia. A maidan in Turkey and Washington’s rule over Turkey would be truly devastating.

4.    At the very beginning of the coup the Western media and all of the so called military experts and analysts were in support of the coup. The White house was silent. The White house expressed support for Erdogan government via its tweeter only after it became obvious that the coup failed. Washington is a fair weather friend.....

From BBC
Failed Turkey coup: A summary of today's key developments

Turkey's Prime Minister Binaldi Yildirim has declared last night's failed coup attempt over, calling it a "black stain" on the country's democracy and promising harsh punishment for those involved...

From RT
Turkish coup ‘no carte blanche’ for purges
French FM says, as number of arrests reaches 6,000
France’s foreign minister has urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to respect the law and refrain from purges after the recent failed attempt by Turkish military officials to topple the government. Some 6,000 arrests have been made in just two days.
"We had to condemn the coup in Turkey, this is the least we could do,” Jean-Marc Ayrault told France 3 TV channel.

“[But] we want the rule of law to function fully, this is no carte blanche for Erdogan,” Ayrault said.

A faction of the Turkish military attempted to topple the government of President Erdogan on Friday night, with tanks and attack helicopters brought into Turkey’s two main cities, Ankara and Istanbul.....

Dated July 17

From MoonOfAlabama blog
Coup Against Wannabe-Sultan Failed - Beware The Aftermath

(Please also read the updated tweets below. There are some very interesting nuggets in there that are not yet reflected in the text.)

Yesterday's short coup attempt (real time MoA) by parts of the military against the wannabe-Sultan of Turkey failed. Some 200 people on both sides were killed, some 1,200 wounded.

The plotters' major mistakes were:

    to not capture Erdogan and the leaders of his   political and security organizations,
    to not shut down all means of mass communication, especially the Internet, except those under their strict control,
    to not put out a trusted public face to represent the coup.

Erdogan escaped and could orchestrate the counter to the coup. He could continue to communicate with his security management, foreign politicians and his supporters. Without any well known alternative leader the public had only Erdogan to follow.....

From BBC
Turkey: Mass arrests after coup bid quashed, says PM

Some 2,839 soldiers, including high-ranking officers, have been arrested after an attempted coup that is now over, says Turkey's PM Binali Yildirim.

The attempted coup was a "black stain on Turkish democracy", he said, with 161 civilians and police killed....