Meanwhile in Turkey

The purge continues.

Missing Turkish Naval Ships

14 missing naval vessels were reported to be on active duty on the day of the botched coup. They were either in the Aegean or the Black Sea and have not yet returned to port. The suspicion that these ships could be part of the coup conspiracy stemmed from the fact that they have not yet tried to make contact with naval headquarters or made any attempts to report back to the port. It is suspected that these vessels, which are traceable by radar or satellite, have headed to Greek ports.

  IBTimes

I don't know.  Greece reportedly arrested with intent to deport members of the coup who flew there for asylum.  Doesn't seem like the place to go.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Wow

Around 50,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended or detained since the coup attempt, stirring tensions across the country of 80 million which borders Syria's chaos and is a Western ally against Islamic State.

  alJazeera

Never mind democracy, that coup attempt was good for Erdoğan.

I guess we can hope that all these people lost was their jobs.

Turkey has revoked the licenses of 21,000 teachers working in private institutions, an Education Ministry official told Reuters.

[...]

Meanwhile, Turkey's High Education Board has ordered the resignation of 1,577 deans at all universities – both public and private – across the country.

  RT

Tyrants always go for the intelligentsia, don't they?

In addition, 399 employees of the Ministry of Family and Social Polices were stripped of their responsibilities on Tuesday, and 257 people working at the office of the prime minister were also sacked, Anadolu reported.

[...]

Thousands of officials suspected of links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen – who the government blames for the coup – have also been purged from the judiciary and Interior Ministry.

[...]

A total of 49,337 public sector workers – including military and police personnel – have lost their jobs since Friday, according to Hurriyet.

What are they trying to do? If all those people get together, they really might make a success of a coup.

Any US officials condemning this?

President Barack Obama spoke to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, offering US assistance as Ankara investigates last week's attempted coup, but urging the government to show restraint as it pursues those connected in the failed attempt.

  alJazeera

That should do it.

 Appalled at the mass arrests or firings since Saturday of tens of thousands of judges, educators, bureaucrats, police, and military men, along with some apparent reprisal killings, Secretary of State John Kerry reminded Erdoğan that democracy and due process are requirements for NATO member states.

  The Nation

Yeah, or that.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

I Smell Fish

This "report" was put out when the coup in Turkey first went down:

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is reportedly seeking asylum in Germany, after first landing in Istanbul and being turned away, a senior U.S. military source said, MSNBC reported July 15. Erdogan is reportedly still in the plane on the way to Germany.

  Stratfor

Turkish president Tayyip Erdoğan is reportedly seeking asylum in Europe, as a military coup continues in Turkey, U.S. military sources tell NBC News. Erdoğan's presidential jet was allegedly denied landing rights at Istanbul's airport, before heading out of the country. He was then denied asylum in Germany, according to NBC, before heading to London.

The Daily Beast could not confirm these reports.

  Daily Beast

Why was that apparently false information - what USA Today called "unverified reports" - leaked to the press by "US military sources"?

Turkish Airlines flight 8456 - a Gulfstream Aerospace G5X private jet used by the government - took off from outside the southern seaside resort of Bodrum, where Erdogan had been on holiday at around 11pm.

It flew northwards but then stopped over the remote northwest corner of Turkey at around 00.20am, circling over and over again as the situation on the ground unfolded before carrying on towards Istanbul at 1am.

He touched down in Turkey’s biggest city 20 minutes later and emerged from the jet to deliver a triumphant victory speech, declaring that the coup was over and vowing to purge the military of plotters.

  UK Express

You'd think it would be a simple enough matter to check with Germany whether there was a plea for asylum.  Not for me, but for news sources, and I haven't yet found any.

Together with the very early Twitter report that Erdoğan had been arrested, the numerous US military experts criticizing the way the coup was conducted, and John Kerry's cautious first remarks about hoping for stability, there is a distinct stench of US involvement, if not instigation.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE July 17: I further checked the Twitter account of Feyzi İşbaşaran, and that Tweet about Erdoğan being arrested does not exist. Whether it ever did or not, I cannot say. If I had thought there was a problem, I could have checked the account when the Tweet first appeared as a Retweet in Adam Johnson's account. (I also checked the translation. I think it's correct.)

Here It Comes

The Turkish government has closed the airspace around [US Incirlik Air Base, which stores US tactical nuclear weapons] following the coup attempt, putting a temporary halt to coalition airstrikes against Islamic State from the country, according U.S. and Turkish officials.

The airspace restrictions around Incirlik Air Base were imposed “to prevent rogue aircrafts from targeting civilians and government buildings,” a senior Turkish official said, adding that the government had suspicions that pilots taking part in the coup used Incirlik to refuel their aircraft.

[...]

Military personnel are also being asked not to leave the base, where about 1,700 U.S. service members are stationed. Turkey originally closed access to and from the base, although those restrictions have been lifted. U.S. Service members are now being ordered to remain on base to comply with State Department advice for Americans to shelter in place.

The outside power to Incirlik remained shut down after being cut earlier Saturday, officials said, though backup power generators were supplying power to the base.

  Wall Street Journal

Erdoğan wants the US to extradite Fethullah Gülen, who suggests the government may have staged the coup to get at him, and John Kerry says if Turkey gives the US sufficient information to implicate Gülen, we'll "look a it and make judgments about it appropriately."

Cavusoglu [Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs] said the military now needed to be "cleansed" of Gulenist influence.

"Once this cleansing is finished our military will be stronger, our soldiers will be stronger, providing better support and coordination to NATO," he said.

He said soldiers at the Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, used by the U.S. military to conduct air strikes against Islamic State militants in neighboring Syria, had been involved in the coup attempt and that arrests had been made.

  Reuters

The cleansing. Perhaps is Gülen right.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Oh, Yes. Thank God for That

Alp Aslandogan, the executive director of Alliance for Shared Values, and the media advisor to Gülen, said that security is on “high alert” following threats of violence on social media.

While Erdoğan is attempting to extradite Gülen for charges related to the coup Aslandogan said: “The US government position has always been that if there is any evidence of Mr Gulen breaking the laws, they will look into it.

“So far, the Turkish government hasn’t produced anything. Thank God, this is a country of laws, and we depend on that.”

  Guardian

Some lives matter.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Turkey's Labor Secretary Blames the US

You have to admit there's a good chance of it. And even if not, how can you blame anyone for thinking that?  The US has instigated more coups in history than any other country or agency.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Turkey Coup Fallout

UPDATE:

Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency says all soldiers involved in the attempted coup at the military headquarters in the capital, Ankara, have been taken into custody.

  Guardian

Original:

I won't swear to it, but I think this Sputnik News report that coup supporters have seized a Turkish frigate and taken the head of the fleet hostage is current.

Whether the coup is still petering out or completely over, there is, of course, ongoing fallout.

Turkish authorities have removed 2,745 judges from duty following the coup attempt, broadcaster NTV reported, citing a decision by the High Council of Judges and Prosectors (HSYK).

Five members of HSYK, Turkey’s highest judiciary board, were also removed, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

[...]

Reuters have released a statement from Gülen that says he “categorically denies” the claims that he orchestrated the coup, and argues power should be won through free and fair elections. He also reportedly said that Erdogan’s accusations were “especially insulting” as he suffered at the hands of multiple military coups in Turkey.

[...]

Prime minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday that legal changes would be considered to reintroduce the death penalty to deal with coup-plotters.

[...]

The head of the armed forces, General Hulusi Akar, who was reportedly taken hostage, has been freed.

[...]

Greece’s defense ministry has said a Blackhawk helicopter carrying seven Turkish military personnel and one civilian landed in the city of Alexandroupolis earlier Saturday. The passengers asked for asylum and were arrested for illegal entry into Greece.

[...]

In the first official statement on the issue, the [Greek] spokeswoman said the military aircraft had been accompanied by two fighter jets into Greek airspace and would be returned to Turkey as soon as possible.

[...]

“With regards to the eight arrestees, procedures foreseen by international law will be upheld although it is seriously being taken into account that in their country the arrested stand accused of violating constitutional law and attempting the overthrow of democracy.”

  Guardian

Also, the Turkish Armed Forces website is down.

Regarding the fact that coup soldiers had taken control of the Bosphorus bridge but have now surrendered, here's an explanation of the importance of that location:

The Bosphorus is one of world’s most important choke-points for the maritime transit of oil, with more than 3% of global supply – mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea – passing through the 17-mile waterway that connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. It also ships vast amounts of grains from Russia and Kazakhstan to world markets.

To be continued...

Turkey Coup

It's not clear to me that the coup attempt is in fact completely done, but it's pretty clear it's done for.

The latest report I have found on the matter of President Erdoğan's whereabouts has him in Istanbul. One would think if the coup is completely quelled, he'd be in Ankara (although I did see a video report of his palace having been bombed, as well as the parliament building,  But that report also says "at least 200 soldiers turned themselves in to police in Ankara," according to Turkish state media.)  So, I'm still waiting for the fat lady to sing.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced in a televised speech that [161] people died during the coup attempt in Turkey, late Friday night into Saturday morning, and more than 1400 were injured. He went on to say that 2839 members of Turkey’s military have been detained in connection with the coup attempt.

[...]

During his statement, he praised the citizens of Turkey for going on to the streets and risking their lives for democracy, calling their actions heroic.

[...]

Of those who took part in the uprising, he said that they came from various levels of the army, with some of them "high-ranking officers."

"My dear brothers, sister, these parallel gang members are now in the hands of the esteemed Turkish justice and they will be punished in every way they deserve through this process," said Yildirim.

[...]

Five generals and 29 colonels are relieved of their duty, according to Turkey’s Interior Ministry, and several high court judges are also being questioned.

At least one air force base in the country is still in control of the insurgents, according to the ministry.

[...]

President Erdogan, when speaking to his supporters, appeared to blame the coup attempt on Fethullah Gulen, a high-profile political figure and [Muslim] religious scholar based in the U.S. He lives in a gated compound in a small, leafy town in Pennsylvania.

  CNN

Wow. More US military commenters making it seem as though they were at least rooting for the coup-makers if not actively supporting them.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

US "Coup Experts" Weigh In

Hmmmmm.....I wonder.  Was that Tweet saying the president had been arrested part of the plan as laid out by the CIA, but the Tweeter didn't get the word that it hadn't actually been accomplished?  Hmmmmmmm.

From various reports, this seems to be the common sentiment in Turkey:

Too bad more Americans can't reason their way through politics.  Perhaps because they have yet to experience a breakdown and political chaos.

On the other hand, they may be sorry....

US Position on Turkish Coup

Bloomberg is reporting that Kerry and Obama "agreed" in a phone conversation that the democratically-elected government should be supported.   Not exactly a condemnation of the coup.  Apparently they're not willing to support something that doesn't seem to be going successfully.

Earlier we heard Kerry giving a cautious yellow light to the operation, and after his phone call to Obama, and intervening events (including the fact that all opposition parties have come out against the coup), the official White House stance is to support Erdogan.  (I can't find the official statement.) Too many US-supported military coups in the world.  I think they're getting tired of us.

The Facebook live broadcasting has stopped.  I don't know why.  Bloomberg has special coverage that is being updated by the minute.

UPDATE:

FURTHER UPDATE:

The Turkish parliament has been hit by a bomb, according to reports.

CNN-Turk television said some police officers and parliament workers were hurt in the bomb attack.

  UK Independent

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Confusion Re Turkey Coup

I'm currently listening to an alJazeera reporter talking to Ahmet Davutoglu -former PM of Turkey.  She's just asked him if he's not worried about the safety of Turkish people the government has asked to take to the streets to support the democratically elected administration.  He says yes, but the soldiers are family of the people, and they will not harm the people.  Simultaneously, I've checked several Twitter accounts following the coup. This is on Adam Johnson's:

It also appeared that Erdogan was speaking to press, and if so, he's not under arrest.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Military Coups

Undoubtedly, the US Supports/Sponsors the Coup in Turkey

UPDATE: Live video and reporting here.

TURKEY’s newly installed prime minister, Binali Yildirim, has dusted off a time-honoured formula for dealing with his country’s troublesome neighbours: turn down the rhetoric and act nicely. “Our most important foreign-policy goal is to increase the number of friends,” he said in a speech on July 11th. “There is no reason for us to quarrel with Iraq, Syria, Egypt; with the countries of this region.”

  Economist

Seems like a more reasonable response to the airport attack at the end of last month than the US response to 9/11.

Mr Yildirim has got off to a good start. In a single day last month, Turkey agreed to restore ties with Israel, with which it has been at odds since 2010, and apologised to Russia for bringing down a jet that veered into its airspace in November after a bombing run over Syria. Officials from the ruling party have since raised hopes of progress in peace talks in Cyprus, divided since 1974 between an internationally recognised Greek south and a Turkish-occupied north. They have also floated a cautious opening with Egypt and a rethink of Turkey’s botched Syria policy.

[...]

Turkey’s policy in the Middle East since 2011, once described by an adviser to Mr Erdogan as “precious loneliness”, has failed to pay dividends. Instead, it has left the country exposed to IS attacks, a renewed war in its Kurdish south-east, and tensions with allies. It is no surprise that Turkey has turned more genial; it needs all the friends it can get.

Yes, it does.  As does any country the US goes to work on.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

Military Coup in Turkey

I'm not seeing confirmation of that yet.  And there are reports that Erdoğan "is on holiday outside the country" (which could be what you say when he's been arrested and you don't want anyone to know) and that he "is going to make a statement."

The Turkish military released a statement that it had taken over in the name of democratic order, adding that all existing foreign relations will continue and human rights will remain.

  Haaretz

A military takeover in the name of democratic order. Words don't mean anything any more, do they?  I'm a bit confused right now as to what's happening.  Reports say a faction within the military is attempting a coup.

"Some people illegally undertook an illegal action outside of the chain of command," Yildirim, the prime minister, said in comments broadcast by private channel NTV.

Okay, so maybe it's the translation that's the problem. Illegally undertook an illegal action. I have to wonder how you might do that legally.

Would that be a yellow light?

Since on Wednesday, the prime minister announced Turkey would aim "to develop good relations with Syria and Iraq," I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest the US has instigated/given support to the coup.  And furthermore, there would be a public announcement of condemnation for it otherwise.

I just searched for Feyzi İşbaşaran - the person who tweeted the arrest of Erdoğan and found this from January of this year:

An Istanbul court has sentenced former Turkish MP Feyzi Isbasaran to nearly three years in jail for posting tweets deemed insulting to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The man is an ex-member of Erdogan’s own AK party.

   RT

Very strange indeed.

UPDATE July 17:

I further checked the Twitter account of Feyzi İşbaşaran, and that Tweet does not exist.  Whether it ever did or not, I cannot say.  If I had thought there was a problem, I could have checked the account when the Tweet first appeared as a Retweet in Adam Johnson's account.  (I also checked the translation.  I think it's correct.)