Turkey One Day After the Coup Attempt

On the first day following the attempt by a number of armed forces in Turkey to stage a coup against the government, media and the political and social atmosphere in Turkey were completely influenced by the events of Friday night and Saturday morning. Read the Turkish media's account from Saturday after the coup: Cumhuriyet: Ahmed Shik, a prominent Turkish journalist, is one of those who has examined the reasons for the coup that occurred on the night of July 15. According to Mr. Shik, the formation of a Supreme Military Council and the possibility of purging some high-ranking military officials identified as linked to the Gulen movement had increased the likelihood of their dismissal and cleansing from the army. This issue prompted a number of these military personnel to attempt the coup. Following the failed coup attempt in Turkey, the Incirlik military base was closed, and all foreign forces stationed there have left. Barack Obama, the President of the United States, instructed U.S. military forces stationed at Incirlik to refrain from leaving the base. The power at the Incirlik base was cut off on Saturday morning, and entry and exit were under strict security measures. A number of forces demanding the overthrow of the government who resisted at the headquarters of the armed forces eventually surrendered. Behind the scenes of the coup attempt is former Air Force Commander General Akin Ozturk. He was appointed as the Air Force Commander in 2013 and became a member of the Supreme Military Council in 2015. In the past year, suspicions about his connections with the Gulen movement have arisen, and General Ozturk was also supposed to be dismissed in the military purge. He took control of the Air Force in Eskisehir with the management of his son-in-law and after the operation began, flew by helicopter to Istanbul, where he took senior Air Force officers who were at a wedding ceremony aboard the helicopter and held them in an unknown location to prevent them from receiving orders from commanders. Captain Hakan Karakush, the son-in-law of General Akin Ozturk, commanded the fighter jets and helicopters involved in the coup operation. Erdogan, who had been present at Ataturk Airport early in the morning and had not been seen since, was finally spotted in a car in Istanbul on Saturday evening. A photo of a decapitated soldier in the hands of Erdogan's supporters on the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul has gone viral on social media. The presidential press office has warned that despite the government's regained control over Turkey, the possibility of sabotage still exists. Therefore, they have requested that people be present in the streets and in front of government institutions tonight to prevent any crisis. After the arrest of the coup plotters in Turkey, various gendarmerie commanders in different cities have also been arrested. Binali Yildirim, the Prime Minister, announced that more than 2,839 military affiliates have been arrested so far. Lieutenant General Omer Dündar, who has been appointed as the interim commander of the Turkish armed forces, announced that 104 high-ranking military officers who acted against national and governmental interests and contrary to constitutional principles and disrupted public order have been sent to an unknown location after their arrest for interrogation and decision-making. Huseyin Avni Cos, the governor of Sakarya, after the arrest of 112 military coup plotters in that province, announced that to prevent the recurrence of such events and as a lesson for all, the harshest punishment, namely execution, should be considered for the accused. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People's Party, was applauded by all representatives in parliament for his speech in support of the government and the rule of democracy. An exceptional and unprecedented scene of unity among parties and representatives in parliament emerged for the first time. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, responded to claims by Binali Yildirim, the Prime Minister of Turkey, stating that no request from the Turkish government for the arrest of Fethullah Gulen and his extradition to Turkey has been received. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister stated in parliament on Saturday that any country that supports Fethullah Gulen is not our friend. The Turkish news network NTV reported that Binali Yildirim was attacked by gendarmerie forces while traveling to Ankara on Friday night. Hurriyet: General Adam Huduti, commander of the Second Army Corps in Malatya, has been arrested for negligence in preventing the solidarity of his forces. During the military action against the government, the most targeted location by Sikorsky helicopters was the training base of the special police forces in the Golbasi area of Ankara. Two explosions and missile launches resulted in the deaths of 42 police officers. After the intelligence operation by the Turkish intelligence agency MIT and the arrest of military personnel involved in the coup attempt, all individuals are being held in an unknown location. They are reportedly being kept in a gym in semi-nude conditions. With the arrest of the regional gendarmerie commander in Bursa, a list of over 400 commanders, most of whom are from the Air Force and gendarmerie, was discovered in his bag, indicating their responsibilities after the coup's success. Among them is a list of some military personnel outside Turkey. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, used the strongest language among foreign leaders to condemn the coup in Turkey. In a statement, she declared that on behalf of the German government, she strongly condemns the inappropriate action and military coup against the elected and legal government and president of Turkey. Eight military personnel who fled to Greece by helicopter and requested asylum were denied, and based on the request of the Turkish Foreign Minister, their return to Turkey will be carried out. Arrests have also begun at the Ankara Republic Prosecutor's Office. In this context, 10 prosecutors, 38 judges, 140 assistant prosecutors, and five members of the Supreme Court are under supervision and interrogation. Soldiers and non-commissioned officers who surrendered at the presidential palace and Ataturk Airport claimed they were forced to act under the pretext of conducting a military exercise. After the people flooded the streets and blocked the tanks, they realized they had participated in the coup. After the surrender of forces on the Bosphorus Bridge, government supporters severely assaulted them. Images of soldiers' corpses have received widespread coverage on social media. Although police forces managed to save some military personnel from the hands of government supporters, 48 people were killed and several others injured.