Much of our attention in the news has been turned towards the terror attack in Nice, France, the shootout that took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and the ongoing Presidential race. But these are not the only big stories around, Some of you might not have been keeping up with the coup attempt that took place in Turkey, Friday evening. A military coup took place in which some sources claim at least 290 people were killed. Elements of the military involved in the coup took to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul, Turkey and blocked traffic on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul.
Provided by CNN, is a quick rundown of the timeline of later events. The timeline is as follows: at 10:50 p.m. the internet fell silent as the Turkish media went dark on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms, by 11:25 p.m. military forces took control of state broadcast studios and also forced CNN off air. By 12:26 a.m. on Saturday, Turkish President Recip Tyyip Erdogan addressed the nation through facetime telling those loyal to take to the streets to disrupt the coup. Military tanks and troops were confronted by hoards of citizens. Meanwhile, helicopters reportedly fired on intelligence buildings. At 2:25 a.m., bombs were thrown at the parliament building in Ankara around the same time Turkish officials claimed the coup to be over. By 7 a.m., forces on the Bosphorus bridge began to surrender and lay down their weapons, and crowds cheered in the street as Erdogan's regime regained control.
Why the coup? Turkey is no stranger to power struggles. According to Laurence Arnold with Bloomberg, "Its secular-minded military has led at least three government takeovers since 1960, not counting its nonviolent "post-modern coup" in 1997 that chased an Islamist party from power." Laurence Arnold, states that this trend of coups is not unexpected. Mustafa Ataturk, military officer and leader of the early 20th century, gave the military great influence and importance. Erdogan has been attempting to diminish this power and influence since he took office.
What now? It seems that this time consequences for this treason will be greater than before. Reportedly, some loyalists are demanding the death penalty be brought back for the traitors. According to CNN's latest new on Sunday, Recip Tyyip Erdogan is leading a nationwide purge in which 6000 people have been detained. This includes 3 of the top Turkish generals and many soldiers. President Erdogan's intense crackdown is not unexpected considering his previous prosecution of military officials in 2013. Laurence Arnold states that this previous embarrassment of the military along with Erdogan's commitment of Turkey in a multi-national fight against the Islamic State, and Turkey's recent terror attack are all contributing factors to the cause of this particular military coup. This failed coup is very significant, and what will be interesting to see now is if President Erdogan will be able to use this victory to expand his executive authority in Turkey.
