Turkey coup | Former NATO Commander named as ‘Mastermind’ behind Coup attempt

• The Turkish authorities have announced the closure of 131 media organisations.
• Former NATO commander ‘behind failed coup against Erdogan’
• Erdogan announces a Turkey will be kept in a state of emergency for three months
• More than 50,000 people have been rounded up, sacked or suspended from their jobs by Turkey’s government.
• John Kerry Threatens Turkey With NATO Expulsion
• Fires All University Deans; Suspends 21,000 Private School Teachers
• World leaders warn President Erdogan not to use uprising as excuse for crackdown as more than 6,000 arrested.
• Turkey coup arrests hit 6,000 as Erdogan roots out ‘virus’
• Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says parliament might consider a proposal to introduce the death penalty.
• Social media users have compared the coup attempt to the Reichstag fire, indicating potential False Flag Coup ?
• At least 265 people killed, and more than 2839 members of armed forces arrested, 1440 people injured.
• Main Square described as a ‘Bloodbath’
• President Erdogan called on Turks to take to the streets in a surreal interview with CNN Türk, in which he was forced to speak to the network via a mobile phone and FaceTime.

BBC News:

Three news agencies, 16 TV channels, 23 radio stations, 45 papers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers will be shut. One of them, Zaman, once one of Turkey’s biggest newspapers, was put under state control in March. Arrest warrants have been issued for 47 staff. Many of the media outlets are linked to the US-based cleric Fetullah Gulen.

According to Yeni Safak a Conservative media publisher loyal to Erdogan Former NATO commander General John F. Campbell was behind the recent failed Coup attempt.

RT News:

The retired US general had allegedly paid “at least two secret visits” to Turkey since May up to the attempted coup, which the Turkish authorities blamed on what they call the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Turkey’s foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, warned on Monday that ties with Washington could suffer unless they extradite the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan’s ideological adversary. Washington has repeatedly said that Turkey must provide solid evidence of any links Gulen might have to the attempted coup before any possible extradition process is discussed.

The Turkish daily reported that Campbell had top secret meetings at the Erzurum military base and Incirlik air base in Turkey, adding that the US general “directed the process of trending / blacklisting the military officers in the base.”

According to the paper, “Millions of dollars of money has been transferred from Nigeria to Turkey by a group of CIA personnel. The money, which has been distributed to an 80-person special team of the CIA, was used to convince pro-coup generals. After taking money from their bank accounts, the CIA team hand-delivered it to the terrorists under the military dresses.”

Crackdown toll passes 50,000:

More than 50,000 people have been rounded up, sacked or suspended from their jobs by Turkey’s government in the wake of last week’s failed coup.

The purge of those deemed disloyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan widened on Tuesday to include teachers, university deans and the media.

The government says they are allied to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who denies claims he directed the uprising.

PM Binali Yildirim said the preacher led a “terrorist organisation”.

“We will dig them up by their roots,” he told parliament.

Turkey is pressing the US to extradite Mr Gulen and the issue was raised during a phone call between US President Barack Obama and President Erdogan on Tuesday, the White House said.

John Kerry Threatens Turkey With NATO Expulsion:

While the experts debate if Turkey’s flash coup was staged or merely grossly incompetent, a rather theatrical fallout is taking place between Turkey and the US.

Recall that on Saturday, as part of its populist campaign to blame the coup on the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, Turkey accused the US of being “behind the military coup”, to which John Kerry promptly responded that such allegations are “utterly false” and harmful to relations. Kerry also said that authorities should respect the rule of law during their probe of the coup. Kerry also noted that there would be no prompt deportation of Gulen (something which is also in Erdogan’s favor), when he said that “we fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Gulen, and obviously we invite the government of Turkey … to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny and the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments appropriately,” he said.

This however did not lead to any moderation in Turkish rhetoric, and yesterday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim threatened to go to war with any country that would “stand by” the exiled Fethullah Gulen; this would naturally imply the US which is where Gulen is currently located. “The US is behind the coup attempt. A few journals that are published there [in the US] have been conducting activities for several months. For many months we have sent requests to the US concerning Fethullah Gulen. The US must extradite him,” said the Labor Minister in a statement.

Curiously, despite all the posturing, Turkey has yet to send out a formal extradition request.

However, the tensions between Turkey and US appear to have spilled over this morning, when moments ago John Kerry threatened Turkey that it could lose its NATO membership “if it fails to uphold the principles of democracy in the wake of an attempted coup” the US has warned. 

Erdogan Unleashes Unprecedented Crackdown:

Turkey’s ministry of education has sacked 15,200 personnel for alleged involvement with a group the government claims is responsible for Friday’s failed coup.

Even more shocking, Anadolu reports that Turkey’s Board of Higher Education has requested the resignations of all 1,577 university deans, effectively dismissing them.  Of the deans dismissed, 1,176 worked in public universities and 401 in private institutions.

The National Education Ministry said Tuesday that the staff are in both urban and rural establishments, and that an investigation has been launched against them.

It didn’t stop there, and as Turkey’s Ysafak reports, the country has just canceled the license of some 21,000 private school teachers.

Purge widens to education sector:

More than 15,000 education staff in Turkey have been suspended after last week’s failed coup, as a purge of state officials widens still further. The ministry of education accused them of links to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric the Turkish government says was behind Friday’s uprising.

It seems a little late now but World leaders have warned Turkish Government not to use uprising as excuse for crackdown as more than 6,000 arrested.

Conspiracy theorists are saying the attempted military coup in Turkey was faked, after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly called it “a gift from Allah”.

Social media users have compared the coup attempt in which more than 160 people are thought to have died to the Reichstag fire – the 1933 arson attack on the German parliament building which Hitler used as an excuse to suspend civil liberties and order mass arrests of his opponents.

President Erdogan reportedly told supporters at Istanbul’s international airport that the coup attempt was the work of the movement led by the exiled preacher Fethullah Gulen, which he denounced as “an armed terrorist organisation”.

He was quoted as calling the attempted coup “a gift from God,” reportedly saying it would help cleanse the military of “members of the gang” who would “pay a heavy price for their treason”.

This immediately led many to fear that President Erdogan, who has previously been accused of persecuting critics, will use the coup as an excuse to further crack down on his opponents.  Such fears are likely to be stoked by Turkish TV reports that 2,745 judges have been removed from their offices following the coup attempt.

Some observers have even begun specualting that the coup was stage-managed to give Mr Erdogan an opportunity to purge the military of opponents and increase his grip on Turkey – The Independent 

The Counter-Coup Begins:

We don’t have to remind readers that when military coups take place in the middle-east, they are i) ruthless, ii) extremely well-organized and planned, and iii) succeed on virtually every occasion. But not this one. The question why is what the media (or at least its fringes) will be pondering over the next few days and weeks.

What there is no question about, however, is Erdogan’s response, which as he warned last night, would begin with a quick crackdown against the army. As of this moment, hundreds of soldiers have already been arrested.

Hundreds of soldiers have been arrested following coup attempt in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/e1I9QEGxRG

— Jon Brain (@JonBrainNews) July 16, 2016

As AP adds, local NTV television has shown footage of a Turkish colonel and other soldiers being taken into custody at military headquarters. The video shows them being hand-searched by special forces police, their hands behind their heads. Some are later seen kneeling on the ground, their hands still held behind their heads.

According to Hurriyet newspaper’s online edition, some of the privates who were detained told interrogators they were not aware that they were part of a coup attempt. They had been told by commanders they were taking part in military maneuvers. Some said they understood that it was a coup attempt when they saw civilians climb on tanks.

The pro-Erdogan, state-run Anadolu Agency added all soldiers involved in the attempted coup at the military headquarters in the capital, Ankara, have been taken into custody. The report says anti-terrorism police will now conduct a “detailed search” at the headquarters.

However, the real punchline was revealed moments ago when Anadolu said a top body overseeing judges and prosecutors has dismissed 2,745 judges across the country. Anadolu Agency says the emergency meeting of the Judges and Prosecutors High Council was held Saturday, mere hours after Turkish forces quashed an attempted coup, and promptly purged the slate clean of anyone in the judicial branch who was seen as even remotely opposed to Erdogan.

Turkish Prime Minister said that 2,839 soldiers and officers implicated in an overnight coup attempt have been arrested. At least 265 people have been killed, including 104 pro-coup participants, while 1,440 people were injured in military action in Istanbul and Ankara.

President Erdogan says military elements guilty of ‘treason’, as he tells nation government is in charge

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency is reporting that soldiers who have taken over the Chief of General Staff Headquarters as part of an attempted coup have requested negotiations to surrender. According to a Turkish official at the presidency, that is the last base the coup supporters hold. Turkey has announced that more than 1,500 soldiers have been arrested in the coup attempt overnight. – The Telegraph

Just spoken to #Turkey foreign minister @MevlutCavusoglu. I underlined #UK support for the democratic elected government & institutions

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 16, 2016

People celebrating in the aftermath of the Coup attempt.

Just in from the BBC, the events that unfolded at main square when the people rushed the streets has been described as a ‘Bloodbath’:

The White house has just released a statement:

Tonight, @POTUS spoke with Secretary of State @JohnKerry about the ongoing situation in Turkey. pic.twitter.com/dcNGE0lJiN

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 15, 2016

Turkish President Erdogan FaceTimes his nation, watch the video here:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan FaceTimes with TV station, says uprising will be unsuccessful https://t.co/MOl43YZhRP

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 15, 2016

Erdoğan addressing the nation like this #Turkey pic.twitter.com/Y7UYjazQZN

— Amberin Zaman (@amberinzaman) July 15, 2016

Tanks on the Streets of Istanbul

“I urge the Turkish people to gather at public squares and airports. … There is no power higher than the power of the people.” – President Erdogan

The Guardian reports:

The Foreign office has advised British citizens in Turkey to avoid public places and remain vigilant until the situation there becomes clearer. A statement read: “we are concerned by events unfolding in Ankara and Istanbul.”

An announcement on the Turkish state broadcaster TRT says that a curfew has been declared across Turkey and that airports are closed. The announcer says they are being made to read a statement by the military.

The statement promises a new constitution for the country and says that democracy and the secular rule of law had been undermined. Martial law has also been imposed, it adds. 

Bumbling Boris has the following to say on the matter:

Very concerned by events unfolding in #Turkey. Our Embassy is monitoring the situation closely. Brits should follow FCO website for advice

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) July 15, 2016

Confirming media reports of gunshots & possible attempted uprising in #Turkey. Remain vigilant.

— Travel – State Dept (@TravelGov) July 15, 2016

Turkish Citizens take to the streets in reaction to the Coup:

UPDATE —Turkish citizens reacting to coup attempt begin pouring onto streets across Turkey https://t.co/1JCtBz38URpic.twitter.com/RsFSh5krAT

— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) July 15, 2016

Its reported Oil prices have risen due to the News of this Coup, CNBC Reports:

Oil prices rose after news of an apparent military coup in Turkey. Internationally traded Brent crude was up about 1.05 percent. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was last up about 0.72 percent. 

Turkey, which straddles Europe and the Middle East, is not a major oil producer, but is an important pipeline area. Oil prices also rise generally during times of instability in the Middle East.

Gunfire was heard and jets were seen flying in the Turkish capital of Ankara on Friday as Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said a group within Turkey’s military had attempted to overthrow the government.