Military coup in Turkey

[Coligny]

And I'm not even sure it's a bad thing...

(don't you love these mornings where you leave your bed and go straight under your desk for hiding ?)

[Coligny]

Erdogan unfortunately still alive...

For now...

[Yokohammer]

I'm pretty sure this is bad. Instability in Turkey is really not going to help the region, and it is a critical region right about now.

From the Beeb ...

Turkey army group announces takeover on TV

An army group in Turkey says it has taken over the country, with soldiers at strategic points in Istanbul and jets flying low in the capital, Ankara.

A statement read on TV said a "peace council" now ran the country and there was a curfew and martial law. It is unclear who the army group is.

There are reports some senior army officials have been detained. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would overcome what he called an uprising by a minority. He told CNN Turk by mobile phone the action was by a "parallel structure" that would bring the necessary response. He has used this term in the past to refer to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Muslim cleric he accuses of fomenting unrest.

Mr Erdogan called on people to take to the streets to oppose the uprising.

On the other hand, Erdogan might be a problem that needs solving. But a coup ... not sure that's the ideal solution.

[yanpa]

The year is only just halfway over and already it's turning out to be a classic. Has anyone seen a small group of horsemen rubbing their hands gleefully?

[Coligny]

The year is only just halfway over and already it's turning out to be a classic. Has anyone seen a small group of horsemen rubbing their hands gleefully?

Nah... we still cool... no seven headed dragoons rising from the east...

480.jpg

Wait.. was it east of Jeruzalem only or ? because that could mean west of the BigT !!??

[Russell]

Maybe Boris can write another poem, this time to encourage Erdogan...

[Coligny]

Didn't take long to turn into a shitfest...

army shooting at crowds...

Tanks running over civi cars:

[Russell]

Attack in Nice.

Coup in Turkey.

And it's all to take attention away from Hollande's CoiffeurGate.



It's a conspiracy, I tell'ya...

[Coligny]

Attack in Nice.

Coup in Turkey.

And it's all to take attention away from Hollande's CoiffeurGate.



It's a conspiracy, I tell'ya...

and the worse have yet to come:

YOU WUZ ADOPTED !!!!

[Grumpy Gramps]

The year is only just halfway over and already it's turning out to be a classic. Has anyone seen a small group of horsemen rubbing their hands gleefully?

Source

[kagemusha]

Putin is a true believer of 'revenge best served cold'. Now, a month after a formal apology to Russia, Putin makes his move.
That's why it is so important to Obama to block this move and why, for the the first time in his presidency, he he is correct in doing so.

[Russell]

The year is only just halfway over and already it's turning out to be a classic. Has anyone seen a small group of horsemen rubbing their hands gleefully?

Source

Wasn't the world on fire too just before the outbreak of WW1?

[Coligny]

remember guys... battletanks have the right of the way...

[Yokohammer]

Looks like the Turkey coup has failed. Unfortunately about 90 people died in the process.


~ Tapatalking ~

[Coligny]

Looks like the Turkey coup has failed. Unfortunately about 90 people died in the process.


~ Tapatalking ~

I think the situation is still a bit on the extremely fluid side...

[Yokohammer]

Oops ... make that 194 dead ...

It does look like things are more or less under control.


~ Tapatalking ~

[Tsuru]

What's that you say? Oh, nothing to worry about, it's just Sultan Erdo's very own Reichstag 1933 moment.

Not to mention thousands took to the streets in western european cities to express their support for their leader.

So how's Turkey's accession to the EU going? Oh, if anything this should get them in sooner rather than later. Tusk, Timmermans, Juncker et al. have all already expressed their profound relief and joy that the democratically elected leadership came out on top last night. (no sniggering at the back)

[Russell]

Civilians climbing battle tanks. Incredibly brave. You have to give it to the Turkish people. They earned their democracy.

Moral 1 of the story: When participating in a coup d'état one had better be prepared to shoot civilians in cold blood.

Moral 2 of the story: Occupying the TV and radio stations doesn't do it anymore. Complete control over social media is necessary, which is impossible. Maybe...

[Coligny]

Civilians climbing battle tanks. Incredibly brave. You have to give it to the Turkish people. They earned their democracy.

Moral 1 of the story: When participating in a coup d'état one had better be prepared to shoot civilians in cold blood.

Moral 2 of the story: Occupying the TV and radio stations doesn't do it anymore. Complete control over social media is necessary, which is impossible. Maybe...

I think traditional Turkish coup d'etat work the other way...

The army step up to protect the institution and the nation against a dangerous ruling class. Once they cleared up things, they setup new elections.

[Tsuru]

If you think this is a win for democracy I don't know what to tell you. Maybe ask the hundreds of academics and journalists who have been thrown in prison over the last few years because they stood in the way of power grabs. For Erdogan, the mechanisms of democracy are at most a means to an end.

[Coligny]

Erdogan election smelled funny... and it wasn't my diaper...

https://www.google.com/search?q=erdogan ... n+election

[wagyl]

Moral 2 of the story: Occupying the TV and radio stations doesn't do it anymore. Complete control over social media is necessary, which is impossible. Maybe...

....Maybe not.

[Tsuru]

They are just getting started.... Less than 24h after the coup the sultan has fired nearly 3000 judges, said that they may restore the death penalty for the people involved in the coup attempt. Meanwhile, soldiers are being beaten with belts, tortured and murdered in broad daylight while the police looks on.

Meanwhile, the US embassy has released this rather worrying communiqué which says Incirlik air base has been barricaded and the power has been cut.

http://turkey.usembassy.gov/sm-071616.html

[Russell]

OK, guys, my opinion may have been a bit misinformed.

Coming days will show by how much.

Edit: Doesn't look good. Actually, pretty bad.

[legion]

Looks like next time the soldiers will be less restrained.

[Russell]

This is getting worse by the hour...

The coup's aftermath is reportedly disrupting operations at Incirlik air base, a major U.S. military base located in southern Turkey. The base serves as the primary hub for U.S.-led air operations against ISIS.

[...]

The U.S. maintains an air base in Incirlik, where it houses nuclear weapons.

Now it looks like access to this air base may be blocked less temporarily...

[kurogane]

Yeeeks. I must say, these Third World resort location types are rather bothersome when they get to revolting. The desirable vacation destination pickings are getting slimmer by the week, and I just got unemployed enough to be looking. Worst of all, I am starting to get a certain empathy for the young Churchill, and even my British namesake.

Okinawa again this year, I suppose.

[Grumpy Gramps]

Now it looks like access to this air base may be blocked less temporarily...

Seeing how it went in Libyia and Syria and elsewhere; if I was Erdogan in this situation, I for sure as hell would not let the Yankee cowboys fly over my head with nukes dangling from their belt, no matter whether the coup was staged or not.

Erdogan surely knows very well, how to use this thing to his advantage...

[Wage Slave]

Yeeeks. I must say, these Third World resort location types are rather bothersome when they get to revolting. The desirable vacation destination pickings are getting slimmer by the week, and I just got unemployed enough to be looking. Worst of all, I am starting to get a certain empathy for the young Churchill, and even my British namesake.

Okinawa again this year, I suppose.

Your British namesake? Anyway, how about Spain? Woefully underrated in my opinion and cheap as frites. Madrid and Barcelona could easily keep me busy for a month at least. And then there's the places I haven't been to yet - Seville, Granada and many more.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Okinawa again this year, I suppose.

Vietnam.