July 2016 Military Coup in Turkey

[happyliza]

I don't think Erdogan and the AKP party having more power in Turkey is a good thing at all. There is a far bigger picture that has been missed here.
...
I strongly recommend reading all three parts of the following articles to understand a fraction of the wider plans. Otherwise people are only promoting Erdogan's agenda without realizing it!! Sadly the Turkish peeps here are also brainwashed and we have had visits for pro referendum from top government officials in Turkey spouting lies to the Turks here too.

I think I understand your concern and consider it relatively legitimate but I also think that you are exaggerating the neo-Ottomanism issue probably in connection with a counter ideological identification. How do you relate the neo-Ottoman threat to the bigger or biggest threat as you see it? What is its place in the plans of the PTB?

Just as you reference, there is the growing or strengthening Shia crescent under the lead of Iran, relatively supported by two other super powers of Russia and China, and these make it outright impossible for a new Ottoman empire to form forcefully in the Middle East, especially considering that the US and allies are not on good terms with Erdogan, either. The AKP sees that it cannot even create a new little Ottoman State in Turkey, let alone in a greater part of Middle East. I think that the possibility of establishment of a neo-Persia is higher. And it appears to me that Erdogan's Ottoman fantasies are strongly influenced, even caused, to some extent, by Iran's extraordinary initiatives in the region.

We saw how Erdogan's Ottoman initiatives collapsed one by one in Palestine, Egypt, Syria and most recently in Iraq very scandalously. The Syrian defeat was the gravest one and Russia was the greatest reason for the defeat, and Erdogan now goes to bigger and bigger cooperation and "alliance" with that Russia and its allies and at the same time distances itself from the US and allies! And you seem to be very unwilling to acknowledge and appreciate this.

Yes, there has been a great deal of oppression by the AKP on all opposition groups, and this is very condemnable, but opposition does not always mean "good" or "better" especially considering the bigger picture of the armageddon! "For whatever reason", Erdogan's AKP gradually shifts Turkey's alignment from the US to the Russian led bloc and THIS is what counts the most in the bigger picture. At least, there is such an apparent tendency, which deserves to be examined and taken seriously as a potential. Erdogan's innumerable failures in many different areas indicate that he doesn't possess the knowledge, awareness and power that Putin does. And Erdogan's subsequent alignment with Putin was normally an "impossible" development considering the background of his ideological identity. Members of his religious/political ideology has always hated Russia much more than they hated the US although they have always known perfectly that it is the US that has been terrorizing the Islamic Middle East. So most members of that ideology have been in the grip of such a inglorious corruption because of the US control on them! In the escalation of the Syrian war, this corruption was extremely active, because the US promised them victory. And upon the painful defeat, Erdogan did something which his ideological society would NEVER do by distancing from the US and nearing Russia. Erdogan is revolutionizing the Islamic community in Turkey that he leads.

And guess what, the ostentatiously secularist Kemalist community of Turkey, which is maybe the most active opponent and detester of Erdogan's Islamic AKP, have never displayed the same determined reaction and opposition to the US and allies which they have been displaying against the AKP adamantly (considering exceptions and rules)! And they are at the same time so proud of being the followers of Ataturk, the great heroic anti-imperialist establisher of the nation! The Kemalist political party, the CHP, and the Kemalist Army, the Turkish Armed Forces, have long been in COOPERATION with those demonic imperialist global group of psychopaths! And that's why those on the top (and behind the curtain) of these great national Kemalist organizations have suppressed and manipulated the Kemalist public base to silence and indifference to the satanic US-Israeli claw inside the flesh of the nation. And very ironically, what they should have done for long is now pioneered by the Islamic political group that they have been programmed to hate from with an extreme political/ideological charge!

Yes, Erdogan's AKP has many sins, too, but not probably more sinful than the iron-handed Kemalist (or pseudo-Kemalist) political and military organizations that have long cooperated with the global psychopaths to torture and suck the blood of the entire nation for decades! As I say, the AKP did the same, their religious/political group did the same, they have long been in cooperation with the PTB but now there is a turn of fate led by Erdogan and this is extremely valuable for the nation. And this will also provide true Kemalists with an opportunity to clean their karma by cooperating with Erdogan in this regard. I don't mean that either Kemalists or any other opposition group should agree with the AKP in all matters. Let me just say that I'm personally PROUD with the legendary Gezi Park Protests! And I might very well decide to cast a "no" vote in the referendum, but this is not the whole picture. No need to blindly attacking everything about Erdogan's AKP. Self-criticism is much needed.

I agree with some of the extra information you have provided above. I have to say that I am not blindly attacking everything about Erdogan because I have obviously been following things very closely over the last 10 years. I have much reason to do so living in Cyprus - as much of what happens in Turkey has a knock on effect here. Also much of my information comes from all the Sott articles, Podcasts, and the forum threads - including information on a local basis here from all nationalities - including Kurds.
I think Sott has a very good take on the situation in the area - including the theft of oil etc etc.
Also it has been noted by many people that he is playing a dangerous game and is not to be trusted by either side - as he pivots from one to the other - most probably a game of manipulation whatever.

Prior to your reply gdpetti actually duplicated what I had in mind whilst writing my reply - together with the 3 articles that were recently posted by katehon. He wrote them in this Sott article: https://www.sott.net/article/345158-The-Bigger-Picture-Whats-Behind-the-Souring-Relationship-Between-Turkey-and-The-Netherlands

I quote gdpetti here:

Erdo's ego is a beautiful thing to behold... it just keeps growing like Jack's beanstalk. Good thing Putin knows to keep his distance as this guy seems to be ready to dive into the deep end and fast.... he simply can' help himself it seems.... addiction does that.

That said, he's still useful in the 'divide and conquer' pattern in Europe, but surely his wetdreams of a New Ottoman Empire are getting the best of him... does he think he can expose NATO's lies and deceptions in arming, training and taking care of those terrorists without having even more fingers pointed at him? He doesn't seem to have learned from Jordan's example of keeping a low profile when participating on these regime change ops... he hasn't yet learned that he can't have it both ways...but he soon will... same way they all do, as it seems the only way they learn... but the same goes for all of us initially, so why shouldn't Erdo get his fill of the cup? And 'his' people as well, not much different in Greece.. assuming they had a real election... they are all bumping up against that wall of reality and finding it most unpleasant.

Niall He's talked about this for the last few years, it's no secret... his expansion plans for the region, to reestablish his ideas upon as much of the region as he can... especially the Turkish peoples to the east, thus his assistance to those fighting the Chinese... his involvement for years in those who raid SW RUssia etc.... his support for the breakup of Syria... etc. etc. If you go back to some of those speeches, he has literally said it, and this is why he's so easy to manipulate. The question is why the half-hearted CIA coup attempt? Putin is willing to work with the guy, but it's like working with someone you know you can't trust.

Erdo just wants Gulen out of the way for good so he doesn't have the competition for control of the country.... but this is classic, most countries do this... shut down or take over the press/media, the education system, etc. Essentially, he's the head agent for the ponerological push in Turkey... taking the place of Gulen, trying to replace our GLadio B operators with his own... all those terrorists he's been assisting in their 'liberation' of Syria.. etc. etc. He's definitely not like Duterte, Putin, Xi at all... huge difference, though the policies can seem the same at times. In my opinion, the question is whether he's a psycho or just a sociopath, as I doubt he's one of the chosen people... but I could be wrong on that point.. he seems a useful idiot type.... easy to manipulate. If the CIA wanted him dead in that coup, they would have shot him down themselves with various methods while his plane was in the air.... could easily have blamed it on Gulen, the YPG or the many terrorists he's been supporting... those Turkish troops aren't in nothern Syria to spread peace or 'wrest back control of his country from the One World Government'... you weren't serious with that comment were you?

Edit: I also wish to point out the interfering in other countries too including the Ughers in China which are considered under the same label as terrorists. Even if Turkey was not directly involved in training terrorists on its territory (they may blame Nato whoever). Somebody allowed all this to go on in the country! And is continuing to do insurgencies and treat terrorists in its hospitals etc. Using refugees as bargaining tools, shooting them at the borders etc.

 

[bozadi]

As I explained my idea previously, I think that Erdogan is not an advanced soul either in STO or STS, that he doesn't possess a high level knowledge or specialty on anything. It is known, although not acknowledged officially, that he is not even a university graduate, which had became a hot topic regarding the validity of his stateman position prior to the coup attempt.

Erdogan's political career is an unbelievable series of political u-turns, about which I had referenced a series of youtube videos called, in translation, "One Prime Minister, Two Erdogans". A long list of tragicomical self-refutations. Extremely childish.

He used to be an adamant supporter and student of Erbakan, who was a former Islamist Prime Minister of Turkey and who was also against the US-Israeli control on Middle East and defended the union and cooperation of Sunnis and Shias to act against the Global Elites. But then Erbakan fell victim to a series of political attacks and eventually was forced to resign. Erdogan deserted him in cold blood to establish the AKP under the support of the US-Israeli alliance. He, along with his party, cooperated very sincerely and deeply with Fethullah Gulen of the PTB, praised him very highly for a long time, and eventually declared him the great traitor.

Erdogan's statements about Israel, beginning from his early days in Erbakan's political party, has been flactuating between praising and demonization. The same shuttling between extreme opposite ends can be found plentily in all his political career. Another of very well-known examples was his close friendship with Assad family that continued until just a few months before the ignition of the Syrian Civil War. Similar examples are too many to count here in this message. And recently, news report videos from 2012 were surfaced in which Erdogan had made a high praise of the Netherlands' democracy and the high standards of the Turkish citizens living there, although he now just curses it. As I say, examples are almost infinite.

I don't think that this is ordinary lying or a clear-cut personality disorder. And if it is lying, it is not professional lying, just childish, too easy to pinpoint. It is always so simple to get him red-handed. He doesn't possess sufficient knowledge, intellect or any real ideological or philosophical stand, other than by imitation. He just play games and wants to win.

He's very instable and unexpected. This is also what makes him interesting, I think. His most recent clash with the US and allies, who are responsible for the establishment and ascension of the AKP, has been been the most unexpected thing ever! You can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Likewise, you couldn't make the mainstream Islamic community of Turkey, a majority of which are the public base of the AKP, imagine being real strategic friends with Russia and go against the US. This is completely an extremely unexpected initiative taken by Erdogan. A "relatively small" step for Erdogan but a giant one for Turkey and especially for the Turkish people of the Sunni Islamic ideology. But I suspect that Erdogan or several of his trusted advisors might have been inspired by Haydar Bas, an opposition leader from the low-profile BTP (the Independent Turkey Party), who is also a Sunni Islamist but has interestingly defended closer alliance with Russia and, similar to Erbakan, standing against the US and its allies through cooperation between Sunni and Alevi/Shia Muslims in recent years.

By the way, although I previously argued that a new Ottoman State cannot be forcefully established either in Turkey or as an empire in the region, I think that, depending on the developments, a Muslim empire or rather a kind of a powerful federation of Muslim states might be established based on the will of the people of the Muslim states in the Middle East. This can be desired by a majority of Muslims in the region but the Sunni-Shia division is the main problem. This is also why Erdogan is crazy with Iran. He thinks Iran is the main obstacle in front of the great Muslim empire of the Middle East. In fact, just like the examples of contradiction I gave above, sometimes he made some extremely positive references to Iran. In a visit he made to Iran in 2014 along with the President of the Turkish Department of Religious Affairs, Mehmet Gormez, who also strongly supports Sunni-Shia union, Erdogan said, "Iran feels like our second home". I think sometimes he feels the impossibility of establishing a Sunni Empire in the Middle East without either overpowering Iran or finding a way of active cooperation with it. It seems to me that he will, like he currently does, try all the tricks before concluding that he must sincerely cooperate, which he can eventually.

Yes, Erdogan does all kinds of dirty tricks, most of which fail counterproductively, but this doesn't necessarily make him a conscious pathocrat. Intrinsically, he doesn't probably have high standards of knowledge and morality/conscience, and what makes him interesting is the fact that the great support he enjoys from millions of people somehow grants him the courage of counteracting the PTB recently. Of course, this needs to be time-tested but there is a generally increasing trend, I believe.

All the obvious ills of Erdogan's AKP must be opposed but the above mentioned trend should not be overlooked, I believe.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkish law enforcement agencies have detained two alleged members of the Daesh (IS, outlawed in Russia) terrorist group during a raid in the country's largest city of Istanbul, local media reported Thursday.

Turkish Police Detain Two Daesh Suspects in Istanbul
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703171051668921-turkish-police-daesh-suspects-istanbul/

The Daily Sabah newspaper reported, citing, police sources that two Uzbek citizens suspected of Daesh links had been detained in the city's district of Kagithane.

The detained people were also suspected of plans to conduct an attack similar to the deadly one that took place in Reina nightclub during New Year's Eve celebrations in the European part of the city, claiming lives of some 40 people, the media outlet added.

According to the newspaper, during the raid, police officers have also seized two Kalashnikov assault rifles and 500 bullets.

The ongoing deterioration of relations between Berlin and Ankara will mostly hurt people of Turkish origins living in Germany, the representatives of organizations representing Turkish people in Germany told Sputnik.

Germany's Turkish Community to Suffer Most Harm From Berlin-Ankara Fracas
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703171051692566-germany-turkey-relations-nazi/

Relations between Berlin and Ankara became strained after Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yucel was arrested in Istanbul in February over alleged links to a terrorist organization and terrorist propaganda.

The situation between the two nations deteriorated further as authorities of several German cities cancelled rallies by a number of high-ranking Turkish officials who were to campaign among Turkish communities abroad in their efforts to secure support for national constitutional reform which would extend presidential powers. In response to the rally bans, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared German authorities to Nazis.

According to the chairman of the Turkish organization Demokratik Isci Dernekleri Federasyonu (DIDF, or the Federation of Democratic Workers’ Associations), Zeynep Sefariye Eksi, the tensions between the two countries “will lead to damaging consequences mostly for the migrants of Turkish origins living in Germany.”

Similarly, the chair of the Turkish Community in Germany (TGD) association, Gokay Sofuoglu, noted that it is “the Turkish people in Germany and the Germans who will later have to deal with the consequences [of the bilateral conflict] and overcome them.”

Reasons Behind Erdogan's Campaign in Germany - Around 3 million migrants of Turkish origin currently live in Germany, with around half of them being Turkish citizens and thus eligible to vote in the April 16 referendum on constitutional change in Turkey. According to DIDF leader, much of the Turkish diaspora in Germany opposes Erdogan’s nationalism.

It is well documented that majority Kurdish, Alevite, secular and progressive people of Turkish origin that live in Germany are against Erdogan. This is the reason for the start of the referendum campaign in Germany before Turkey. In an attempt to create a base for the propaganda that Western countries are anti-Turkey, Erdogan is attempting to escalate arguments between Turkey and the EU and Germany in a calculated, provocative way,” Eksi said.

According to the TGD chair, however, Erdogan indeed polarizes the mood in Germany as “he always used to do in the past and then later apologized to everyone,” but that is why, in Sofuoglu’s view, “no one is taking him seriously.”

Germany's Official Reaction Development - The German government initially condemned Erdogan’s Nazi remarks as unacceptable, unjustifiable, uncalled-for and absurd.

On March 8, however, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel stated that open and friendly relations with Turkey remain Germany's objective.

Nevertheless, several German lawmakers called for a more severe response against Ankara, ranging from German troop withdrawal from Turkish airbases to the cancellation of the agreement between the European Union and Turkey deal on concerning migrant exchange. Under the terms of the agreement, Turkey pledged to take back all undocumented migrants who arrive in the European Union by way of its territory, in exchange for accommodation by the European Union of Syrian refugees in Turkey, on a one-for-one basis.

Similarly, while TGD’s head hailed the German government’s temperate response as appropriate, insisting that “one should not allow oneself to be put on the same low level, ” the DIDF leader criticized the way Berlin handles Ankara and suggested their manner of diplomatic treatment led to Erdogan’s Nazi remarks in the first place.

“In line with its foreign political calculations Berlin has been following a conciliatory and supporting policy towards Erdogan so far, and its criticisms of Erdogan were a result of public pressure but limited and symbolic. In other words, Germany is reaping the harvest that it had sown in a way,” Eksi noted.

Future Development - The two countries need each other. There are 6,500 German companies operating in Turkey. And Germany has its own plans for the region via Turkey. Also, last year Turkey was the 8th largest buyer of German arms. All this shows that despite ongoing political frictions, the relations between Germany and Turkey could not deteriorate quite easily,” Eksi noted.

A total of 2,673 criminal cases were filed over six months on charges of insulting Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, according to a report for the Human Rights Joint Platform (IHOP) on Friday.

Turkey Opens Over 2,600 Criminal Cases for Insulting President
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703171051701069-turkey-criminal-cases/

Of those individuals with cases filed against them, 280 suspects were acquitted, according to the Turkish Minute, citing the report.

According to the report, 3,134 individuals have been put on trial on charges of insulting the president since 1993, of which 1,953 were filed in 2015.

In 2016, a number of lawsuits were filed in Turkey against journalists, artists, students, and, notably, the head of the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Kemal Kilicdaroglu and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtas, on allegations of anti-Erdogan remarks.

Under Turkish law, those found guilty of insulting the president may be fined or imprisoned for up to four years.

Bodies of three crew members from a Turkish-flagged ship were found by coast guards nearly Libyan coast, according to local media.

Libyan Coast Guards Recover Three Bodies From Sunken Turkish Ship
https://sputniknews.com/world/201703171051693171-libya-turkey-ship/

Coast guards recovered bodies of three crew members from a Turkish-flagged ship that had sunk off the Libyan coast, Turkish media reported on Friday.

According to the Anadolu news agency, the searches of three other crew members were still ongoing, while seven have been rescued since the ship, named Tinaz Tepe, had sunk due to bad weather conditions on Thursday.

The vessel sank near Misurata in northwestern Libya, the agency said, citing the Turkish Consulate General.

Necessary arrangements are being made to repatriate the victims’ bodies to Turkey, according to the agency.

Turkey's largest military base abroad will be opened in April in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu, media reported Friday.

Turkey's Largest Military Base Overseas to Be Opened in Somalia in April
https://sputniknews.com/africa/201703171051688402-turkey-somalia-base/

According to the Yeni Safak newspaper, the Turkish Army will train Somalia troops and troops from other African countries at the base, which has been under construction near Somalia's airport in Mogadishu since March 2015.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and General Staff's Chief Gen. Hulusi Akar are expected to take part in the official opening ceremony, which is due to take place in April.

The construction costs reportedly make up $50 million. About 500 soldiers will be able to train at the same time, the base occupies 400 hectares and includes three military schools, dormitories and depots.

Reliable sources in the Middle East have told Sputnik that Turkey continues setting up military bases in the north of Syria. Kurdish politician Rezan Hiddo spoke to Sputnik Turkiye about what Turkey's Armed Forces are up to in the area.

Turkey Sets Up Military Bases in Syrian Cities of al-Bab, Azaz
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703021051201589-turkey-syria-military-bases/

Reliable sources in the Middle East have told Sputnik that after setting up a military base in the Aktarin district to the north of Aleppo, Turkey has now set up another military facility in the city of al-Bab which was recently liberated from Daesh.

The base was set up near the Akil hill which is considered to be a strategic height. The sources also said that Turkey is setting up a facility near the city of Azaz.

By setting up the bases, the politician said, Turkey is not fighting against terrorism but is rather trying to annex the captured Syrian territories.

"Turkey is trying to present the cities of Jarabulus, Al-Rai and Azaz as Turkish territories. Ankara is constantly talking about the borders set up in the National Pact of 1920, a document adopted at the last session of the Ottoman parliament in Istanbul on February 17, 1920, and which considered the territories of the northern Syria and Iraq as Turkish.

Turkey wants to annex the territories of Aleppo, Manbij, Jarabulus and Al-Shaykh, which we think is its ultimate goal, the politician finally stated.

By setting up the bases, the politician said, Turkey is not fighting against terrorism but is rather trying to annex the captured Syrian territories.

 

[Oxajil]

Yes, Erdogan does all kinds of dirty tricks, most of which fail counterproductively, but this doesn't necessarily make him a conscious pathocrat. Intrinsically, he doesn't probably have high standards of knowledge and morality/conscience, and what makes him interesting is the fact that the great support he enjoys from millions of people somehow grants him the courage of counteracting the PTB recently. Of course, this needs to be time-tested but there is a generally increasing trend, I believe.

All the obvious ills of Erdogan's AKP must be opposed but the above mentioned trend should not be overlooked, I believe.

Yes, I don't think it should be overlooked that he's turning away from the big bad wolves. Regarding his character, I think you and maybe others will find this session interesting where they ask about Erdogan: Session 16 July 2016.

I think the following is perhaps key to understanding why Turkey initially wanted Assad to go, and didn't want to cooperate with Russia:

... Luckily for the EU and its masters in Washington, an alternative source was already in the works in the form of the Qatar-Turkey pipeline that was proposed back in 2002 and would carry Qatari gas to Turkey and the EU. It would, however, have to pass through Syria. When asked for their agreement, the Assad government refused because it wanted to "protect the interests of [its] Russian ally, which is Europe's top supplier of natural gas". ...

After rejecting the Saudi offer, Syria signed up to the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline that would carry gas from same field in the Persian gulf shared by Iran and Qatar (but from the Iranian side), through Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and then under the Mediterranean, probably to Greece. From that point onwards, both Qatar and Turkey (along with the Saudis) were fully in the 'Assad must go!' camp, and began supplying jihadis and weapons to instigate and fuel the Syrian 'civil war'. As a result of the conflict in Syria however, the Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline has been delayed and Turkey is threatening Russia with cancellation of the proposed 'Turkish Stream' pipeline and an agreement where Russia would build Turkish nuclear reactors.

Turkey is also a major consumer of Russian gas and Turkish president Erdogan has claimed that he could look elsewhere for supplies, but then, isn't that what he was already trying to do by supporting the removal of Assad so that the Qatar-Turkey line could be built? Russia is not so easily fooled.

Link

Since then, from Wiki: "Following the shootdown of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey in November 2015 {by 5th columnists in Turkey}, the project was temporarily halted. However, Russia–Turkey relations were restored in summer 2016 and the intergovernmental agreement for TurkStream was signed in October 2016."

After the failed coup attempt in 2016, Turkey-Russia relations became stronger (and I hope Turkey will work together with Russia in Syria). And I think the stronger those relations become, the more anti-Erdogan/Turkey propaganda we will hear and read. FWIW.

 

[bjorb]

You are the future of Europe': Erdogan urges Turks in EU to have at least 5 kids, best response to the "injustices"
https://www.sott.net/article/345531-You-are-the-future-of-Europe-Erdogan-urges-Turks-in-EU-to-have-at-least-5-kids-best-response-to-the-injustices

The extreme-right have been saying for years that it's a Muslim conspiracy to take over Europe by higher birthrates. Now Erdogan just gave this more leverage.

Also, his way of trying to rally the Turkish people who live in the EU against it so called oppressors is not helping and also dangerous under this current climate. It might even become a self-fulfilling prophecy if he keeps this up. The Netherlands is not an overtly Fascist Nazi country, if that was the case, Turkish people would not be allowed to even breath inside it's borders. But covertly the Netherlands surely is fascist, Nazism etc. And those who are really in charge are freaking Evil so how about not trying to create further polarization under it's population. Because if nationalism in it's most extreme form becomes more popular, than the Elites will just switch from ideology and trade Liberalism to something like a Fourth Reich just because this ideology serves them better at that moment. And than Erdogan can say goodbye to the Turkish living abroad in the EU.


Luckily this wannabe crusader Wilders came second during the Dutch elections and not first like was projected months ago. I am Pro Erdogan, but somehow, well the geopolitical landscape is interesting. (Brexit, Trump, Turkey aligning himself with Russia etc.) The only thing that seems to be pushed even harder during the circumstances and go ahead full steam is the so called 'the Muslim problem' narrative which is really disturbing. How come everything seems to be failling of the Elites nowadays? But the so called 'Muslim problem' narrative is only growing stronger? Can it be that, well the overall situation looks somewhat positive, that somehow this may not be entirely the case at all?

I don't know.

 

[Niall]

The extreme-right have been saying for years that it's a Muslim conspiracy to take over Europe by higher birthrates. Now Erdogan just gave this more leverage.

Yeah, I don't know if the Turkish leaders know what they are doing, but it's playing right into that narrative.

 

[bjorb]

The extreme-right have been saying for years that it's a Muslim conspiracy to take over Europe by higher birthrates. Now Erdogan just gave this more leverage.

Yeah, I don't know if the Turkish leaders know what they are doing, but it's playing right into that narrative.

Sadly, it just keeps coming:

''TURKEY has increased tensions with Europe after the country’s foreign minister said the continent is heading towards a holy war.''
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/780050/Holy-war-Turkey-EU-Netherlands-Rutte-Erdogan-Cavusoglu-Juncker

Before you know it the Turkish leadership has given the western media enough ammunition to paint them falsely as a terrorist state. The manner that they are handling the situation is really foolish if you ask me. I wish I could say to Erdogan, you are doing great for standing up against the Empire and taking back Turkish sovereignty. But please stop conducting yourself as a diplomatic hooligan. When you have to moral high ground than act tactful, that's why Putin is globally winning hearths and minds. You could do the same.


As for the riots in the Netherlands, there where only a dozen or so arrested. A dozen out of 400.000 Turkish people living here. And than there is always the question whet ever they where provoked or not by the police. It's no fuzz, I mean, high stake football games attracts more fights and riots and those happen occasionally.

And yet, all what people remember from that incident are a bunch of Turks screaming Allah Akbar while waving the Turkish Flag. And now the Turkish foreign minister said that Europe is heading towards a holy war. How does that come across with the average Joe. Not very well I think.

And a few hours ago Erdogan said the following:

Erdogan accuses EU of 'crusade' against Islam
http://www.dw.com/en/erdogan-accuses-eu-of-crusade-against-islam/a-37979126

"My dear brothers, a battle has started between the cross and the half moon. There can be no other explanation," Erdogan said on Thursday.

It's right playing and feeding into the ''the clash of civilization'' narrative. It's very irresponsible to talk like this.


Right now my personal observation tells me that the Mainstream media is losing the minds over the people. But the rational alternative media isn't winning this either. It's the Alt Right that is growing on the ashes of the mainstream media. And Erdogan is giving them ammunition. :(

 

[Oxajil]

''TURKEY has increased tensions with Europe after the country’s foreign minister said the continent is heading towards a holy war.''

I'm afraid that if he does decide to send refugees to Europe, I don't think all of them will only consist of refugees. There may well be some terrorists among them. Perhaps this is what he meant by "You are dragging Europe into the abyss. Holy wars will soon begin in Europe." But it could be a threat he won't follow through on, I hope so at least, for everyone involved. :/

Meanwhile, Merkel had a phone call with Hollande two days ago, and:

In their joint statement, Hollande and Merkel said they agreed that Turkish politicians should be allowed to campaign in their countries, but only under the condition they stuck to German and French law and met “precise guidelines” such as early registration and transparency about campaign events.

German diplomats informed their Turkish counterparts earlier in the week that Turkish citizens living in Germany would be allowed to vote via 13 voting stations in cities across the country, but emphasised that Berlin could withdraw its offer if Turkey did not tone down its rhetoric.

Link

Today, a news article from Dutch media said that it was against the law when two Turkish diplomats were arrested and their diplomatic passports taken by Dutch police on the day the Turkish minister arrived in Rotterdam. If Turkey starts a case on this, they will certainly win. Rutte told Turkish PM Yildirim that NL will investigate this and if they conclude they were treated wrongly, then it is 'something they (the Dutch) will regret', i.e. they'd apologize.

 

[angelburst29]

I do not agree with the BND - that Gulen was not involved in the Coup against Erdogan? And calling Guden's organization merely a "civil association for religious and secular education" is a gross understatement. Gulen has accumulated over $25 Billion in profits through numerous nefarious activities, including the drug and spy trade, in cohorts with the CIA. Erdogan is too unpredictable for the CIA to trust him - so they want him - out.

Germany is not convinced that US-based writer, political activist and former imam Fethullah Gulen was behind the failed July 15 coup in Turkey, the country's intelligence chief said Saturday.

German Intelligence Chief Says No Evidence Gulen Behind Turkey Coup
https://sputniknews.com/military/201703191051734069-BND-says-coup-not-gulen/

"Turkey has tried on different levels to convince us of that fact, but they have not succeeded," Federal Intelligence Service (BND) President Bruno Kahl told Der Spiegel in an interview published March 18.

Kahl said that despite gathering information from a variety of sources, the BND could not find a direct link between what Turkey calls the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) and the coup attempt, the Daily Sabah reported. He also called Gulen's organization merely a "civil association for religious and secular education." Turkey classifies the group as a terrorist organization.

(Gulen's supporters scoff at the "terrorist" name FETO and say their organization helps support schools, businesses and media and is simply called Hizmet, "service," in Turkish.)

Nearly 250 people died in the attempt to oust Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last summer, when some soldiers turned tanks and aircraft on government buildings in an attempt to take over. In its aftermath, the Turkish government launched a massive purge across all sectors of society, resulting in tens of thousands being arrested, nearly 100,000 detained and an equal number dismissed from media, military, judicial, civil service and educational positions. Media outlets have also been closed on a massive scale.

Kahl said that though the coup attempt was not initiated by the Turkish state, Erdogan has used it as "a welcome pretext" for exerting more control over the country, though he said he believed the crackdown would have happened either way.

"What we saw following the putsch would have happened regardless. Maybe not on the same scale and with such radicalism," Kahl said, according to AFP.

According to Kahl, the purge was already underway before July 15.

Gulen, a former supporter of Erdogan, has lived in the United States in self-imposed exile for nearly 20 years. He has always denied being involved in the coup attempt.

Germany and the Netherlands are currently at odds with the Turkish government after preventing Erdogan and Turkish ministers from campaigning in their countries in support of a referendum to give much more power to the Turkish presidency, held by Erdogan. The EU sees the changes as undemocratic, and the countries have said campaigning by a foreign power on their soil is inappropriate. Turkey is furious, and has called leaders of both nations "Nazis."

Ankara condemned Germany’s decision to allow Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) supporters’ march in Frankfurt, Turkish media reported Sunday, citing the Foreign Ministry’s statement.

Turkey Condemns PKK Rally in Germany
https://sputniknews.com/world/201703191051736029-turkey-pkk-germany/

According to the Anadolu news agency, the ministry called Germany allowing use of PKK symbols during the marching a “thought-provoking case” and informed Germany’s ambassador in Ankara about the discomfort on the issue.

German officials allowed around 9,000 people to march in Frankfurt with PKK posters and flags, shouting slogans against Turkey, the agency reported.

The PKK is outlawed as a terrorist organization in Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Ankara started the military operation against the militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the province of Tunceli, according to local media.

Turkey Launches Anti-PKK Operation in Country's Eastern Tunceli Province
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703171051703247-turkey-pkk-operatiom-tunceli/

Turkish authorities have launched a military operation against the militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in country's eastern province of Tunceli, local media reported Friday.

Ankara started the operation to "neutralize," which means to kill, incapacitate or to capture, about 400 PKK militants in the area.

The news outlet added that the authorities also declared over 30 regions of the province "special security regions" for a 15-day period.

PKK is a Kurdish organization created in 1978 to support the self-determination of the ethnic group. Ankara designates the party as a terrorist organization.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag he is confident that Turkey won't ditch its migrant agreement with the EU, and suggested that the Turkish government is not representative of Turks living in Europe.

'Not All Turks Are Little Erdogans': EU Commission Hits Back at Ankara
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703191051736824-turkey-eu-erdogan-juncker/

In recent weeks Ankara has been in conflict with authorities in Germany, the Netherlands and Brussels regarding its referendum campaigning among the Turkish diaspora in Europe and the future of a deal to stop Middle Eastern migrants from coming to Europe.

However, the EU believes that the majority of its Turkish diaspora are not followers of Turkish President Erdogan, EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said on Sunday, Germany's Finanz Nachrichten reported.

"Not all Turks are little Erdogans," Juncker told the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag.

"I absolutely don't have a problem with the millions Turks living in our part of Europe. They are well-integrated and contribute to prosperity."

[...] Despite Turkey's threats to rip up the deal, Juncker said the EU is confident that Turkey won't ditch the migrant agreement.

"Turkey will not terminate this agreement, even if Erdogan has repeatedly threatened me with this," Juncker said.

It is not in the interests of Turkey to put the issue in the hands of smugglers and bandits operating on the Turkish coast. Working with bandits is not in the ambitions of an EU candidate."

"The agreement is working. While some one million refugees arrived in Greece from Turkey in the eleven months before the agreement, in the 11 months after there were less than 27,000 – a decline of 97 percent."

The Commission President also dismissed calls to stop EU accession negotiations with Turkey as a "bogus debate."

"It does not make sense to take our anger out on negotiations which are not happening anyway."


(As a side note - )

Former German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will take office as the next German president on Sunday.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Assume Office as German President on Sunday
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703191051735119-steinmeier-german-president/

In February, Steinmeier, nominated by the ruling coalition, was supported by 931 members of the country's Federal Convention, which is a special body consisting of 630 members of the Bundestag and of the same number of representatives of Germany's states.

Steinmeier, who served as the foreign minister in 2005-2009 and 2013-2017, will begin his term in office a day after expiration of the five-year presidential term of Joachim Gauck, who refused to run for the second term due to his age.

 

[bjorb]

[quote author= Angelburst29]I do not agree with the BND - that Gulen was not involved in the Coup against Erdogan? And calling Guden's organization merely a "civil association for religious and secular education" is a gross understatement. Gulen has accumulated over $25 Billion in profits through numerous nefarious activities, including the drug and spy trade, in cohorts with the CIA. Erdogan is too unpredictable for the CIA to trust him - so they want him - out.[/quote]

Last week during the radio show it was pointed out that there is perhaps more to the story. Remember Joe's article about how the Turkish 5 column downed the Russian jet and not Erdogan in order to sour relationships between the 2 countries. What if Erdogan was not supporting ISIS? What if it was the 5th column that was responsible for this. And what if this was the reason of the coup, because Erdogan tried to stop this?

It makes sense, because after the coup. Erdogan switched Turkish Foreign policy completely regarding Syria. For example, he immediately started to build that wall along the border! Which is clearly a hostile move towards ISIS. I suspect the wall was on the agenda all that time, but only after the failed coup gained Erdogan the upper hand against the 5th column. And only then, was he actually able to chance things?

 

[Joe]

Last week during the radio show it was pointed out that there is perhaps more to the story. Remember Joe's article about how the Turkish 5 column downed the Russian jet and not Erdogan in order to sour relationships between the 2 countries. What if Erdogan was not supporting ISIS? What if it was the 5th column that was responsible for this. And what if this was the reason of the coup, because Erdogan tried to stop this?

It makes sense, because after the coup. Erdogan switched Turkish Foreign policy completely regarding Syria. For example, he immediately started to build that wall along the border! Which is clearly a hostile move towards ISIS. I suspect the wall was on the agenda all that time, but only after the failed coup gained Erdogan the upper hand against the 5th column. And only then, was he actually able to chance things?

Pretty much as far as I can see. Note also that after the coup attempt (and in fact even before) Erdogan was repeatedly saying that the Kurds were his problem and they would not be allowed to cross the Euphrates Westwards ("operation Euphrates shield" I think he called it). The point there was to stop the US enabling the Kurds in Iraq and Syria from creating their own "homeland" which would have threatened to take a chunk of Turkey too, eventually. After they were stopped from using their jihadis to completely destroy and take over all of Syria and install a client regime, this was the US' 'plan b: create a Kurdistan to control the area between Iran and the Mediterranean and thereby put the kabosh on Iranian energy resource pathways to Europe.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) canceled all its upcoming rallies aimed at gaining support among Turkish communities for the referendum on constitutional amendments, which were to be held in Germany in the light of Berlin's strong opposition, local media reported Tuesday.

Turkish Ruling Party Cancels Constitutional Referendum Rallies in Germany
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703211051812367-turkey-cancels-rallies-germany/

All 15 rallies and events in Germany, at which Turkish lawmakers and high-ranking representatives from the AKP were scheduled to speak as part of the country's campaign for a referendum on the enhancement of the judiciary and legislative powers of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, were canceled, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper reported, citing a coordination bureau of the AKP in Cologne.

The majority of events were expected to take place in Berlin, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Munich, as well as on the territory of the North Rhine-Westphalia state.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not welcomed in Germany amid his recent speech about German Chancellor, the deputy chairman of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said Tuesday.

Erdogan ‘Not Welcome’ in Germany After New Nazi Taunts – CDU Deputy Chair
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703211051804111-erdogan-nazi-welcome-appearance/

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan crossed a line when he compared Chancellor Angela Merkel to Nazis and is not welcomed in Germany, the deputy chairman of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said Tuesday.

"Mr. Erdogan and his government are not welcome in our country… If he comes he should not be allowed, in my opinion, to make an appearance. This would threaten our country’s security," Volker Bouffier told the Deutschlandfunk radio.

The war of words between Turkey and Germany escalated over the weekend when Erdogan accused Merkel of taking "Nazi measures" against his ministers and 1.4 million of eligible ethnic Turkish voters.

The Turkish permanent representative to the UN announced that Turkey will not follow the ruling of the UN MICT to liberate its judge Aydin Sefa Akay arrested on the charges of coup attempt.

Turkey to Not Liberate UN Judge Arrested for Coup Attempt – Representative to UN
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201703211051800928-turkey-un-judge-coup/

Turkey will not follow the ruling of the UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) to liberate its judge Aydin Sefa Akay, arrested in Turkey on the charges of participating in the July 2016 coup attempt, due to the ruling's invalidity, Feridun Sinirlioglu, the permanent representative of Turkey to the United Nations, said Tuesday.

Turkey considers this ruling invalid, as it has no legal force, Sinirlioglu wrote in a letter to the UN Security Council.

The Turkish official stressed that the MICT had exceeded its authority, calling its ruling to liberate Akay unlawful. According to Sinirlioglu, Akay was a Turkish citizen who had been arrested on charges of involvement in the Gulen movement (FETO), which is seen by Ankara as the organizer of the failed coup attempt of July 2016. The judge did not have immunity in the case as was arrested for activities which lay beyond his scope of responsibility for the United Nations.

Akay, who had worked as part of the MICT on the investigation into war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, was arrested in Turkey last September. The arrest became the first case of UN judge’s immunity violation.

In January, the MICT said that Turkish authorities should liberate Akay. According to the court’s ruling, Akay's detention violated his diplomatic immunity and judicial independence, and therefore he should have been liberated by February 14.

 

[angelburst29]

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that it is unacceptable that a socialist party in Switzerland held a rally with PKK members and they use banner calling for the murder of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Ankara Calls Use of Banner Urging for Erdogan's Murder in Bern 'Unacceptable'
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201703271052009702-bren-march-pkk/

The use of a banner calling for the murder of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a demonstration in Switzerland's capital city of Bern was "unacceptable," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday.

On Saturday, supporters of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) took part in the rally in front of the federal parliament building in Bern. Turkish media reported that the banner, which read "Kill Erdogan" and pictured the Turkish president with a gun pointed at his head, could be seen during the event.

"It is unacceptable that a socialist party in Switzerland held a rally with PKK members or a terrorist organization and they use [this type of] slogans," Cavusoglu told the Anadolu news agency, adding that Turkey would follow the Swiss investigation into the rally.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday, in which it expressed concern over the banner and condemned the demonstration in Bern, calling it a "an explicit incitement to violence and terrorism." Ankara also asked Switzerland to take the necessary judicial measures in regards to this "criminal act," and summoned the Swiss Charge d'Affaires to the ministry.

A similar demonstration took place in the German city of Frankfurt on March 19, with around 9,000 people marching with PKK posters and flags. The rally was strongly condemned by the Turkish authorities.

The incident comes amid a diplomatic row between Turkey and several EU member states, including the Netherlands and Germany, following their refusal to allow Turkish ministers to hold campaign meetings with Turkish expats ahead of the Turkish constitutional amendments referendum set for April 16 and aimed at expanding presidential powers.

 

[angelburst29]

Who Was Behind The 15th July Coup In Turkey?
https://medium.com/@15thJulyCoup/who-was-behind-the-15th-july-coup-in-turkey-19f75a5771c5#.35irwtvqo

Tues. Mar 21, 2017 - Proof, documents, photographs, videos, tweets - Yıldıray Oğur * & Ceren Kenar *

The first failed coup attempt in Turkey, after four ‘successful’ ones, happened on 22nd February 1962. In the elections held a month after the hanging of Prime Minister Adnan Menderes, the political parties that were a continuation of the political party he was head of, the Democrat Party won the majority. These results troubled a radical Kemalist group and Military Academy Commander Talat Aydemir attempted a coup. The coup was suppressed with difficulty; Captain Aydemir was told to resign and then duly pardoned. However the captain tried to organize a coup again a year later on 21st May 1963. There were clashes in front of the Parliament in Ankara, jets bombed the Military Academy. Talat Aydemir and the putschists surrendered. This time, the captain was brought to court. He was sentenced to death. At his trial he said: “If you set me free today, I’d organize a coup again”

53 years later, on the night of 15th July 2016, Turkey experienced yet another coup attempt.

The night of 15th July 2016 has entered the annals of the Turkish Republic as the night of the bloodiest coup, and the first coup that was stopped by the resistance of the people.

246 people lost their lives as they resisted the putschists, over 2000 people were injured. Democracy vigils were held for 26 days in Turkey’s squares.


However the putschists of 15th July were not able to do what the putschists of 53 years ago had been able to do. Even the high ranking generals who were caught red handed during the coup did not stand behind what they had done; they prefered to deny involvement in the coup.

That is why we have no information about the motivations and goals of the 15th July coup plotters except for a declaration read in the name of Peace at Home Council on the state channel and some audio recordings from the night.

However, they left a body of evidence and finger prints as they fled when the coup was defeated.

I- Evidence that was left in the crime scene

Adil Öksüz, was an assistant professor at the Theology Faculty in a small university in Sakarya, a town 150 km away from Istanbul.

He had gone abroad 109 times in the period 2002–2016. That is every 45 days. In the last 25 months he had gone abroad 12 times. That is every other month. His schedule seemed to be very hectic.

He flew to NYC from Istanbul on 26th May 2015 and returned on 18th June. Eight days later he flew to Johannesburg from Istanbul, stayed three days and flew back. On 16th September he flew to South Africa again and from there to the US, and nine days later he came back to Turkey. On 15th October 2015 he flew to Kuwait. He went to Germany on 23rd October. In 2016 he flew frequently to the US. On 17th March he flew to NYC, and stayed only four days. On 20th June he flew to JFK airport again, stayed four days, and returned.

Why and how could this theology assistant professor who had no academic output other than the doctoral thesis he had written in 2003, whose whole family lived in Turkey, and whose salary was around 1500 dollars go to the US so frequently? The answer to this question is in this video and photographs.

50 year-old Adil Öksüz was one of the closest associates of Fethullah Gülen who lives in Pennsylvania, USA.

On 11th July 2016 he flew with the TK003 flight, Business Class, seat 4G to New York, and after the long 11 hour flight he only stayed two days and returned to Turkey on 13th July 2016.

That is two days before the 15th July 2016 coup attempt.

On the morning of 16th July, after the coup was suppressed, he was caught with the putschist soldiers who were trying to flee the Akıncılar Military Air Base, which was the headquarters of the putschists in Ankara.

In his interrogation he said that he had gone to the environs of the base, which is far away from the town ‘to look around for a possible piece of farmland to buy’.

According to some minutes revealed later when under custody Adil Öksüz went to the toilet. Some time later a member of the gendarmerie personnel went into the same cubicle that Adil Öksüz had used. As he was trying to get a tissue from the tissue box he realized that there was a device inside. He related this immediately to his superiors. The Specialist Sergeant was asked who had last used the cubicle. When it was found out that it was Adil Öksüz, he was asked ‘Is this yours?’ to which he answered ‘Oh yes that’s mine, I must have dropped it in the loo.’ The gendermarie official said ‘You did not drop it, you hid it.’ The commanding officers asked the soldiers what the device was. The soldiers and the police entered the number and the brand on the device on the internet trying to understand what it was. It was a GPS navigation device.

A theology professor who is caught at a military base that is the head quarters of a coup, with a GPS device…

But when Adil Öksöz appeared before the prosecutor and the judge all this evidence was ‘lost’ by some unseen hand. The prosecutor got suspicious of a civilian, middle aged man who was caught in the vicinity of the military base but the judge had no evidence to go on. Adil Öksüz was released and he disappeared without a trace. Since then, both the gendermarie and the police have been looking for him everywhere.

Kemal Batmaz, was in seat 27H, economy class, on the TK003 flight on which Öksüz also flew to US on 11th July. Kemal Batmaz was one of the high-ranking executives of Kaynak Holding.

Kaynak Holding was established in 1979 for the commercial operations of the Gülen Organization. The last CEO, Naci Tosun, had been by the side of Fethullah Gülen, and was taken into custody with him in 1986. He had been an administrator in the organization’s newspaper Zaman; in short a leading figure in the group.

In 2012 Kemal Batmaz was the director of Kaynak Medya, the advertising agency of Kaynak Holding.

We see Batmaz in the promotion video filmed in the agency office and his name would appear again in the advertising conference he organized: Update/2012 Marketing Trends and Future, which would get a lot of air time on media and television.

In 2015 he set up a real estate firm named Matris with a senior director from Koç Holding.

This trip to the US was not the first that Adil Öksüz and Kemal Batmaz had gone on together. On 18th October 2009 Adil Öksüz had flown to the US, followed two days later on 20th October 2009 by Kemal Batmaz. Batmaz had returned on the 22nd, Öksüz on the 23rd. Adil Öksüz and Kemal Batmaz had gone to the US on 16th May 2010 and had returned to Turkey on 25th May 2010.

On 13th July 2016 Kemal Batmaz and Adil Öksüz returned to Turkey from the US together with Turkish Airlines flight TK002. When the flight landed in Istanbul, Atatürk Airport security cameras filmed them walking side until they got into cars.

In his testimony concerning these pictures Batmaz said, ‘I had to do some processing for my miles card. We might have ended up next to one another. This is a coincidence.’ But the coincidences didn’t end there. Kemal Batmaz, just like Adil Öksüz, was caught in Akıncı Base near Ankara, the HQ for putschists, on the morning of the 16th July. And again by coincidence he claimed he had gone there to ‘a farmland to buy. ’

A civilian who has been a holding executive, who has worked in advertising, and who has never held an official position turns up in the corridors of the Akıncı airbase housing the F-16 fleet. What business he had there during the night of the coup was revealed later.

In the footage he walks the corridors, speaks to the soldiers who greet him, and enters and exits room as if he is very familiar with the premises.

But he wasn’t the only civilian in the corridors of the airbase that night. On the night of the coup, another civilian can be seen in CCTV images from the corridors of the Squadron 143.

His name is Harun Biniş He is a graduate of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Bilkent University, one of Turkey’s best universities. In 2001, he made a presentation called “A Success Story: Forensics Laboratory” at the 5th Lotus Summit which he attended as the Internet Solutions Group Manager of Sürat Computing Technologies.

Sürat Computing Technologies, which later changed its name to Sürat Informatics is an affiliated company of Kaynak Holding, which belongs to Gülenists.

Between 2010–2013, Biniş worked at the Telecommunications Directorate, which is the centre for forensic monitoring activity in Turkey. News about him was published in newspapers identified him as the engineer who set up the organization’s infrastructure that made the bugging activity possible. He was the defendant in a case brought against him after 2014 investigations into the illegal bugging activity at his organization, and he testified in court.

His last employer was another informatics company with a specialization in defence technology, based in Middle East Technical University’s Teknokent.

Thanks to yet another coincidence, he was arrested at the Akıncı air base miles outside the city centre on the night of July 15th together with Kemal Batmaz and Adil Öksüz and told the prosecutors he was there to “look for a plot [of land] to buy” Contrary to Adil Öksüz, who managed to get away, both Kemal Batmaz and Harun Biniş were arrested and are now in jail.

Other employees of the Gülenist Kaynak Holding were at work that night too.

Harun Şahin was the former general manager of Sürat Technology, a company within the Gülenist Kaynak Holding, that oversaw the installation of street CCTV systems all over Istanbul.

Niyazi Akalın was a systems engineer at Sürat Technology, an affiliated company of Kaynak Holding.

Seyfullah Genç was the CEO of a company called Supercom Informatics, owned by Harun Şahin. At the time of the coup, he worked as the Manager of Information Technologies at one of Turkey’s biggest cement companies.

Their mission on the night of the coup in Istanbul was to help the putschists take over the broadcasts of TRT (state owned Turkish Radio and Television) and the digital broadcasting platform Digiturk. Their images were captured by CCTV on the morning of July 16th as they ran away, climbing over the fence wall of the TRT building.

The putschists that took over the headquarters of TRT in Ankara on the night of the coup forced a TRT presenter to read out their declaration of the coup on live TV.

The putschists at TRT that night were accompanied by engineers who were civilians. Computer engineer Onur Demircan was one of them. He graduated from the department of Computer Engineering at METU, which accepts only students with the highest university entrance exam scores in Turkey.
Then he completed a Management Information Systems PhD at the same university in the field of social media data analysis. At the time of the coup he worked at Havelsan, which provides services to the Turkish Armed Forces in the areas of defence and aeronautics.

On the night of the coup, he was with the putschists at the TRT building in Ankara alongside other civilians whose names could not be identified.

It later emerged that he set the dates between July 15–29 for his annual leave. After his CCTV images were revealed, he immediately disappeared and sent his resignation to his employer via e-mail.

There were also policemen who were dismissed from the police force after 2014 due to their links with the Gülen cult, and sought by law enforcement, who emerged from the shadows that night. One of them was quite familiar from the Gezi Park protests.

At the time of Gezi Park Protests, Mithat Aynacı was the assistant police chief at the Police Security Unit in charge of confronting and dispersing protests. He had a part in the police’s excessive use of teargas and arbitrary arrests during the protests.

On November 1st, 2014, he was dismissed from the police force on the grounds that he was a member of the Gülen cult. Later, he returned to the force by way of a court ruling yet was not assigned any duty. On the night of the coup, members of the public took a man in uniform out of one of the tanks that was brought by the putschists to take over the headquarters of Istanbul Police Department. This man was none other than Mithat Aynacı. He was there with the putschists to take over the police department he was once dismissed from.

Anafartalar College, was a private school in Ankara that was known to be a secular and Kemalist institution of education. Children of military officials received discounts on school fees.

The owner of this private school, Hakan Çiçek, was captured on July 15th at Akıncı, the air base from where the coup was masterminded that night.
In his statement, he said he was there to “visit the parent of a pupil, who is a military official.

It was later revealed that Anafartalar College was established for the children of the members of the Gülen cult in the army, and was shut down after the coup. G.Ç., the brother of Hakan Çiçek, who was a Major in the Air Aviation Command and worked as a helicopter maintenance pilot, was also arrested over charges relating to the coup. The prosecutor’s office established that Hakan Çiçek travelled to the US in January, March, and June in 2016 on the same dates as Adil Öksüz and Kemal Batmaz. In his statement, Çiçek said that this was mere coincidence and claimed that he travelled to the US for his personal business.

Analizi Harbi (Real Analysis) was a popular account on Twitter with close to 40000 followers. It shared technical and military analyses on matters like armed conflict with the PKK and Syria, and criticized the government. Tweets from this account included the likes of this one that praised the American prosecutor (U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara) who had Reza Zarrab, the businessman who was at the centre of the investigations of December 17–25, 2013 investigations, arrested.

This account shared something of a prophecy on the morning of July 15th, hours before the coup.

“Within two months, relations with Syria will go back to normal. Syrians will start to go back to their country. Public funds allotted for them will be gone.”

Later that day, when it became clear that a coup was taking place, this account replied to one of its followers as follows :

“My darling, apparently, I was made a commander of martial law. Come to my territory if its trouble you want”

Gerdarmerie Staff Colonel Ömer Kulaç, who was appointed to the Nevşehir-Kırşehir area as a commander of martial law, was captured after the coup failed at the end of a shoot out with the police.

It was later learned that he was the owner of the Analizi Harbi account on Twitter.

Older brother of Staff Colonel Hasan Kulaç, who was a Rear Admiral and the Head of the Navy Supply Department, was among those arrested on the night of the coup at Akıncı air base. A third brother, Hüseyin Kulaç, a member of the Supreme Court, was also arrested over charges relating to the coup. Interestingly enough, the brother of Hasan Kulaç’s wife, Cihan Kansız, was one of the infamous Ergenekon Case’s prosecutors. He fled the country and went to Belgium before a warrant for his arrest could be issued in a case brought against him over charges of misconduct in investigations.

The case of the Kulaç brothers is an apt example of how the Gülen cult was organized in a clandestine fashion within the most critical state institutions,and helps explain why there is also a purge of civil servants going on alongside the dismissal of members of the military involved with the cult. There are other cases too.

(Continued in next Post.)

 

[angelburst29]

II- Who were the Bureaucrats Dismissed After the Coup?

Kemal Işıklı was a high-ranking employee of 15 years at the official Banking Regulation and Supervision Authority in Ankara. He was an expert in the Department of Risk Management. He had another job, though, apart from his professional one. He was an ‘elder’ to the Underwater Assault Commandos. Let us quote from his testimony:

Sergeant Murat Fırat, whom I knew was personnel in the Underwater Assault Commandos and had the code name of ‘Miraç,’ Sergeant Özgür Danışan with the code name ‘Ömer,’ Sergeant Hamdi Çıplak with the code name ‘Onur,’ Sergeant Fatih Kaya with the code name ‘Hamza,’ Sergeant Mutlu Ferik with the code name ‘Murat’ and Sergeant İrfan Altuntaş with the code name ‘İsmail’ used to come to my personal residence. We read the Koran and had conversations of a religious nature. We never discussed politics. These people, who were members of the military, did not have knowledge of each other.”

The banking expert was the subordinate of another ‘elder’ at an İmam Hatip high school (high school with an emphasis in religious education) with the code name of ‘Cankurt.’ Cankurt, whose full name Işıklı did not know, gave him instructions.

“He told me to ‘invite them and let us meet’ and by ‘them’ he meant the soldiers in the Underwater Assault Commandos. Then I phoned one person from each group, asked them to come over to my place and set different meeting times for them. I also called Cankurt and let him know when the soldiers were going to come. They came to my place at the times I asked them to, after which Cankurt arrived. He told them ‘Someone called Kemal will come and see you. I want you to do what he says.’ There was casual conversation afterwards and then Cankurt and the soldiers left.”

This was how the Underwater Assault Commandos, whose ‘elder’ was Kemal Işıklı, were made aware of the imminent coup. And they were the same commandos who flew on the night of the coup to Marmaris to arrest or assassinate President Erdoğan.

Muhterem Çöl was a bureaucrat with a PhD in artificial intelligence who started his career as an aircraft engineer in the Turkish Armed Forces. Since 2001, he’d been the vice president of the Information and Telecommunication Technologies Authority, which of Turkey’s cell phone networks. He attended conferences,and conventions,and gave interviews on TV about base stations. A warrant for his arrest was issued after the coup but he’d already disappeared.

The reason for this warrant of arrest became clear through the testimony of the arrested Gendarmerie Major, Haydar Hacıpaşalıoğlu, who said that Çöl was the ‘elder’ from the Gülen cult who was responsible for him.

“I was assigned to Ankara in 2010. I was introduced to Muhterem Çöl, whose code name was Turgut and who worked at the Information and Telecommunication Technologies Authority. This person has been my ‘elder’ for five years.”

The Major learned of the coup when he was at the Vice President’s home.

“On the evening of July 14th, at Muhterem Çöl’s home, we were told there was going to be a significant activity tomorrow under the direction of Fethullah Gülen. Speeches charged with emotion were made. I was deeply moved.”

Mustafa Koçyiğit, had a bright career despite being quite young. He graduated from the department of Public Administration at Ankara University’s Faculty of Political Science. He then went on to have a master’s degree in Public Policy at Michigan State University. He took part in the project of “Restructuring the Turkish Public Administration” at the Prime Minister’s Office between 2004–2009. He continued to work at the Prime Minister’s Office as an administrator in personnel management.

He too had a job that was unknown to others. Let us quote from the statement he made after his arrest after the coup:

“The cult member with the code name of ‘Selman’ assigned me the duty of working in cooperation with engineers at the technical and data processing unit at the Prime Minister’s Office. He used to call me from a pay phone and we used to meet outside. Under instructions from the ‘elder’ Selman, I got into contact with someone called Burak who worked at the office of the Head of Intelligence Department, and started to carry out instructions. We communicated with the engineers through the app called ‘Bylock.’ We also used the apps of ‘Eagle’ and ‘Tango.’ I asked the engineers to give us data that might be of use to us. The engineers, Haşim and Burak, started to bring us data on USB, CD, and hard disk. We used to meet at their homes or outside. And I turned these data over to someone called Furkan. This is how we got hold of the list of 20000 people involved with the parallel structure sent to the Head of Intelligence Department by the National Intelligence Service.”

“On July 15th I exchanged texts with an ‘elder’ called Selahattin. He told me ‘The engineers should figure out a way to stay at the office of the Head of Intelligence Department on Friday night and through the weekend,’ which I told the engineers. When I found out about the coup, I texted the engineers and said that the information processing unit had to be protected. They acted on what I said and were captured near the office of the Head of Intelligence Department in Yıldız. The last texting app we used was Tango, which was also used by some 30000 cult members. I regret what I have done. I knew that the data I made available was classified information and documents of the state.”

Mustafa Koçyiğit, who was a well-educated civil servant at the Prime Minister’s Office, orchestrated the transfer of data from here to the Gülen cult and took part in the arrangements leading up to the coup. He did all of this under instruction from his ‘elders,’ who were his superiors in the cult.

Members of the cult communicated through various texting apps. Among these, Bylock and Eagle were developed by engineers involved with the cult for the exclusive use of their own members, accessible only by password.

The swift identification of the names of people to be dismissed from state institutions and the military was made possible by the National Intelligence Service’s uncovering of the secret communication networks like Bylock and Eagle developed by the cult prior to the coup.

The reason for the post-coup purges that were met with criticism in the West is the existence of this cult structure that organizes itself parallel to the state and civil society.

It is also important to remember that not everyone in the cult was as discreet in the days before the coup. Some members of the cult who knew of the imminent coup, dropped hints in their tweets and statements.. The ones who could not keep the secret were, not surprisingly, journalists.

III- Gülen Organization’s coup foretelling journalists of the Coup

Osman Özsoy was a professor of political science and a Gülenist. He produced and presented TV programmes on channels like Samanyolu and Bugün that belonged to the Gülen cult. A month before the coup, on June 15th, 2016, when he appeared on a live internet broadcast on the Özgürlük Zamanı (Time for Freedom), a website based in the USA,he said:

Özsoy: “Good times are@ just around the corner. How I wish I were a colonel today and not a professor, then I would have much more to contribute to this process..
Presenter: How exactly would you contribute?
Özsoy: I just said what I said and won’t be commenting on it more. If I were to be a colonel today, I would have a bigger chance of service.”

Faruk Mercan was a journalist who worked for the newspapers Zaman and Bugün as well as the weekly Aksiyon magazine, all of which belonged to the Gülen Cult. In 2009, he wrote a biography of Fethullah Gülen. “There had not been this many blasts and loss of civilian lives even in the days before September 12th, 1980. The Republic of Turkey is going through the most serious crisis of its history.” (March 13th, 2016)

Tuncay Opçin was another journalist who worked for Bugün and Aksiyon. He too went abroad before the coup. Two days before July 15th, he shared the following tweet:(13 July 2016) “Busted in bed, hung by dawn”

Mustafa Ünal was the Ankara representative of the Gülenist newspaper, Zaman. Apparently, he could not keep the news to himself and two days before the coup, on July 13rd, he wrote:(13 July 2016) “You just wait and see what is to come.”

A former police superintendent, Emre Uslu, was a Gülenist journalist/analyst who was quite notorious for his prophecies. After various lawsuits were brought against him in 2014, a warrant for his arrest was issued; he fled the country and never came back.

In September 2015, replying to one of his followers who asked when he would come back to Turkey, he wrote: “July, 2016.”

And on March 14th, 2016, in another tweet he jokingly asked his followers to pitch in and buy him a ticket from Washington to Istanbul for the 22nd of July.

An ad was aired before October 5th, 2015 when Zaman, the newspaper owned by the Gülen Cult was shut down for being the mouthpiece of the cult. The ad was called “The Wail of Silence”. The opening scene was a cityscape against a backdrop of wails of sirens which was then followed by the shot of a smiling baby. 9 months later, the coup attempt took place.

IV- The Gülen Group’s 40-year dance with the army

One imam who was doing his obligatory military service in Ankara had taken part in Talat Aydemir’s coup attempts:

“The last evening we were extremely excited. The Radio Broadcasting House was taken by them, and by us in succession. First the news went out that there was a coup, then it was declared that the coup had been suppressed…. Then we heard planes flying over us. Their aim was to wipe Mamak off the map. Then our side surrendered…” The name of that young, 22 year old imam was Fethullah Gülen.

In his memoir, Fethullah Gülen, a preacher born in 1941, says that his first encounter with the reality of the army was when he was 22 years old, during the coup of 27th May 1960:

It was very difficult for me to accept that the 1960 coup had happened. That day we fled and came to a village. I said to him; ; you find a gun. And a bomb each. I will not rest till I have blown this parliament over their heads… I wanted to blow up the general command of the Chief of Staff, I wanted to revenge myself over these men at all costs… When I was making these plans I am telling you about, I thought I’d ask Yaşar Hodja (Tunagör)… He said to me ‘Son! Let me ask you something. Who will you put in their place if you kill them?’ I had not thought of that till then. One piece of slime would be cleaned but another piece would take its place, and this idea helped me.’”

Gülen was taken into police custody during his obligatory military service in 1962, during which period he made political remarks in one of his sermons. His memoirs reveal, again, that even then there were military officers who were protecting him:

“ I will never forget Necdet Bey’s heroism at the time. I learnt later he was a major. I thought he was a lieutenant. He was an optician. Despite the fact that he was not allowed to see me he jumped over the barbed fence and entered with his official uniform. He hugged me. Because he was a maritime officer the soldier was confused about his rank and asked ‘What kind of private is this, officers and pashas come and speak with him’ and they were afraid… He told me later when we met. They said to him ‘How is it that you go to a private and hug him.’ And he replied ‘He is not a private. He is another sort of man. I am ready to kiss his feet…”

Gülen was arrested again after the military memorandum of 12th March 1971. He was freed in an amnesty. It was during this time that the first study centres and student accommodation of his organization had started to be set up in Izmir.

His name was on the search list after the coup of 12th September 1980. But by this time there were high-ranking officers who would alert him to the coming coup:

“One day before coup, towards noon, a couple of people who were close to them (high ranking officers) came to me and told me there could be some commotion in the military. So I knew that there may be a coup already around noon. In the afternoon, towards the evening, two young friends (military students) came, now they have dismissed one, but one is still a member of the military. At night I woke them up and said ‘leave the house, your people will rebel tonight’. We got them up and they left the house…”

Gülen had saluted the military coup of 12th September 1980, which would result in a six year search, for him in a piece in his Sızıntı (Fountain) magazine, in the following manner:

“…we thank the Mehmed (soldier) who comes to our aid in our hour of need, at the moment when our hope finished, and we offer him our wish that this transformation may reach its full force.”

The Gülenist organization within the army first came to light 30 years ago, in 1986.

On 28th December 1986, a headline of the then left leaning weekly Nokta magazine, penned by Ruşen Çakır and Can San was: ‘The religious group that has infiltrated the army: Fethullahçıs.’

The report continued: “In the investigations carried out in three military schools, 66 students were found to have links to Fethullah’s organization, and were expelled. It was established that this religious group was preparing the students for military school exams through the study centres that they had opened, and that they planned to organize themselves within the military through these entries. A group of students from the Işıklar Military High School were gathered together in a house in Bursa and were listening to their ‘elders.’ ‘Grit your teeth and bear it till you become staff officers. Do your prayers with your eyes. We will have a firm grip on Turkey in the 2000s.” These military students of 14–16 years of age were given ‘a truly tough’ mission. To infiltrate the Military Forces which had come to be known as the bastion of secularism ” in Turkey…”

In 1992 Directorate of Security Intelligence Unit Head Tuncer Meriç wrote the first report that drew attention to the Gülenist structure that was being built within the state. According to the report even at the time the Gülenists were in contact with ‘up to 50 percent of the students of the police school in Ankara’ and that ‘a civilian university student was at the head of the structure within the police college.’

In 1994 Milliyet newspaper wrote that there was an investigation concerning Gülenist officers at the Gölcük Navy Base and GATA (Military Medicine Faculty), and that many officers may be dismissed. The papers also claimed that Fethullah Gülen had met with the Prime Minister at the time, Tansu Çiller, and asked for support in the face of these investigations.

The conversation that took place between Fethullah Gülen and Prime Minister Çiller during that meeting was revealed years later. Alaaddin Kaya, one of Gülen’s closest affiliates and the first owner of the Gülenist mouthpiece Zaman newspaper (and who is now under arrest as part of the coup investigation) was invited to the Committee for the Investigation of Coups in 2012. He said that Gülen had told Çiller that there was a certain commotion in the military and tried to give her some official documents, upon which Çiller got angry and said ‘Let us try to be reasonable, my dear Hodja.’

In the same testimony for the parliamentary commission Alaattin Kaya said that in 1996 Fethullah Gülen had tried to make a similar offer to Prime Minister Erbakan. Gülen had sent Erbakan audio recordings of the High Military Council where the promotions and demotions within the army for the year were decided, so that the PM may be warned of the military’s movements.

That is to say, the Gülenists were already a very strong structure within the army 30 years ago, to the point that they could listen in and record the most important meetings of the Turkish Armed Forces.

And then came 1999. In the operation conducted by the Aegean Army Command Headquarters and Izmir Security Forces Directorate on 21st March 1999, there were raids in two houses in the Yenişehir Zeytinlik district run by the Gülenists. The people found in the house at the time, students from Uludağ and Marmara Universities, N.C. and S.C., along with a student from Maltepe Military High School M.Y (code name Numan), M.S (code name Ismail), H.Y.K. (code name Ali), Y.A. (code name Enes) and a religion teacher whose name was not made public, were taken into custody. The interrogations of students N.C. and S.C. were held at the Security Branch Directorate and they were then moved to the court. Their deposition was taken at the Izmir Republic Prosecutor’s office, and then they were released.

The people who had been caught were military high school students and their imams, (elders, or ‘abi’s, as they call them), all members of the Gülen organization. A day after the operation, on 22nd March 1999, Fethullah Gülen left Turkey and went to the US on grounds of medical treatment.

Three months later, on the evening of 18th June 1999, ATV broadcast one of his sermons from 1986. Gülen was pretty clear in his statements: “…they need to continue the ‘service’ in this manner until they [the others] come to a certain point, become pliable; this is necessary, imperative. If they do something wrong, they ‘out’ themselves before the necessary road has been trodden, the world will supress them, and the Muslims will be put through something like the experience of the Algerians. There will be another catastrophe like the one Syria in 82… The smallest error will cost us much and we cannot overcome the defeat we may face with such an error, we cannot correct it. Then they will tie your hands completely and won’t let you straighten your back again, may Allah protect us… You have to wait, to the point where you are able to find the perfect essence, when they are pliable, to the point when you can lift the whole world on your shoulders, to the moment when you can represent that power, that moment when you are able to attract to yourself the state structure and constitutional establishments in Turkey, any step taken before this state of affairs is reached would be an early step, any such step would be like cracking open an egg that has not completed its 20 days, it would be like a hen leaving the chicks to the hail and storms… this is us, this is our voice and breath. I have tried to express my feelings and thoughts in as private a manner as I can in this crowded space; I have shared them with the understanding that you are aware of the need for confidentiality, trusting your delicate sense of privacy. I know that when you leave, just as you discard the empty fruit juice cans in your hand, you will so discard these thoughts into the bin, have I made myself clear, yes, my secret is your slave, if you share it, you will be its slave.”

“Whether in the civil service, or the judiciary, or in other fields, I had spoken of this before, the presence of our friends is the guarantee of that mission, in the name of our Islamic future. That is to say the presence of one of our friends in the judiciary, in the civil service, in a crucial institution should not be treated as a personal presence, that is not how it should be weighed. They are the guarantees of our future in those units. They are the pulse of our existence. They are the security of our existence in this field. If those who are there today cannot hold on to their positions now, we will not be able to protect the presence of those to come or will have difficulty in protecting them as we are having now’”

After the release of the tapes a case was filed against Fethullah Gülen at the State Security Court and the prosecutor asked for his arrest. On 6th November 2001, Gülen went to the Newark Federal Prosecutor’s office and testified to the prosecutor Bruce Repetto and said that the tapes were ‘a fabrication and montage’ The prosecutor Nusret Demiral, the prosecutor who asked for Gülen’s arrest, was forced to resign from his job in 2002 when some sex tapes were revealed. The strange coincidence is that Ali Kırca, the journalist who had broadcast these tapes, also had to resign when sex tapes, this time featuring himself, were revealed. The case concerning Gülen was postponed for five years in 2003 and in 2008 the Turkish Supreme Court acquitted him unanimously.

V- Gülen Group in the American Embassy telegraphs

These secret tapes were known not only to the US prosecutors but also to the US ambassador at the time, James Jeffrey. In a telegraph he sent to Washington in 2009 he referred to Gülen’s speech about infiltrating the state apparatus.

US now wants concrete proof of Gülen’s organization being behind the coup, and yet the American state has been aware, at least for 10 years, that Fethullah Gülen is no ‘sufi cleric’ but a man whose organization has been building up a parallel structure within the Turkish state.

It is enough to look at a few of the telegraphs US ambassadors to Turkey sent to Washington to appreciate this.

US Ankara Ambassador Eric Edelman (2005): “ The Gulen cemaat has concentrated (with marked success) on building up a worldwide network of schools and Turkey-wide network of business and journalists/writers associations. It has also infiltrated hundreds of adherents into the national police, judiciary, and Sayistay (GAO equivalent) and also has made inroads into the AKP government, but more recently has signaled its dissatisfaction with the way Erdogan has tried to govern and appears to be distancing itself from him.”

US Istanbul Deputy Consul General Stuart Smith (2005): “The specific Gulenist concern about negative U.S. attitudes towards Gulen apparently stems in part from a November 2004 FBI report that Gulen’s lawyer obtained through a FOIA request. Three ranking Turkish National Police contacts recently raised the issue in a meeting with Istanbul legat, in which they also provided material on Gulen and asked if the FBI could provide some sort of “clean bill of health” for him. (Note: Legat demurred, given the apparent intention to mount a public relations campaign with such material.)”

Istanbul Consul General Deborah Jones (2006): “Gulen supporters account for an increasing proportion of Mission Turkey’s nonimmigrant visa applicant pool. As applicants, Gulenists are almost uniformly evasive about their purpose of travel and their relationships to Gulen, raising questions among Consular officers. Our unease is also shared by secular segments of Turkish society.”

Istanbul Consul General Sharon A. Wiener (2009): “Another group that sparks the ire of the Kemalists are the followers of the religious leader Fethullah Gulen. Our contacts all agree they are everywhere in Turkish society, including the strongest bastion of Kemalism — the military.”

US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey (2009): “The assertion that the TNP is controlled by Gulenists is impossible to confirm but we have found no one who disputes it, and we have heard accounts that TNP applicants who stay at Gulenist pensions are provided the answers in advance to the TNP entrance exam.”

The US was aware of the structure that the Gülenists were building within the army from seven years before and that the Ergenekon cases were closely related with this plan. US Ambassador to Ankara James Jeffrey (2009):

“Gulenist newspapers champion the Ergenekon investigation and continually surprisingly, contacts close to the the Turkish General Staff stress that the traditional dominance of the Turkish military has been a negative factor in Turkey’s history. Not openly loathe Gulen, and contend that he and his legions of supporters are embarked on a ruthless quest not only to undermine the Turkish military but to transform Turkey into an Islamic republic similar to Iran.”

Jeffrey, who was US ambassador to Turkey in 2008–2010 also said the following in the interview he gave after the coup: “The Gülenist movement has some infiltration at the least in the military that I am aware of. They of course had extreme infiltration into the police and judiciary earlier. I had seen that when I was in Turkey previously, particularly in the Sledgehammer case, [the National Intelligence Organization head] Hakan Fidan case [and the] corruption cases in 2013. It is very clear that significant segment of the bureaucracy in Turkey were infiltrated in and had their allegiance to a movement, not a state. That of course is absolutely unacceptable and extremely dangerous. And it highly likely that it has led to the [attempted] coup.

US embassy was very well aware of the secret organization that the Gülen group had in the army, and the tactics they used to infiltrate the system. These tactics were spelled out in a telegraph sent by the US Istanbul Consul General Sharon Wiener on 17th September2009: “Another group that sparks the ire of the Kemalists are the followers of the religious leader Fethullah Gulen. Our contacts all agree they are everywhere in Turkish society, including the strongest bastion of Kemalism — the military. Congar told us military leadership is increasingly concerned with the Gulen Movement’s infiltration of the higher ranks of the armed forces, and are keen to continually purge Gulenists from their ranks. One tactic for ferreting them out is to hold a pool party where military officers are expected to bring their wives, thus exposing the pious women who refuse to wear a swimsuit to the detriment of their husbands, careers. Congar, however, noted Gulen supporters have begun to act in a secular manner to protect their identities. For example, while the secularists, wives attend pool parties with one-piece suits, Gulenist,s wives will wear more revealing two-piece swimsuits. She also mentioned stories of pious officers stocking their house and trash with alcohol bottles to fool the ever vigilant inspectors seeking to root out non-secular officers. (COMMENT: Many Kemalists and academics assume the Gulen Movement has already captured the police in Turkey (reftel B C). Significant Gulen inroads into the military would lead many Kemalists to believe their last defensive perimeter against fundamental Islam has been breached.)”

(Continued in next Post.)