Attempted coup in Turkey

[Ryan Ruck]

Turkish President Erdogan Vows To Purge His Country As He Calls His Opponents 'The Virus' And Orders Arrests Of 6,000 Judges And Military

July 17, 2016

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to purge all state institutions of supporters of an Islamist cleric his government blames for Friday's failed coup attempt.

Speaking at a funeral in Istanbul on Sunday, Erdogan vowed to cleanse the country of the 'virus' of Fethullah Gulen supporters.

He said Turkey, through the justice ministry and foreign ministry, would request the extradition of the cleric, who is based in the United States, and his backers. He has denied any involvement in the coup effort.

The mass funeral was held for civilians who died on Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, including İlhan Varank, the brother of Erdogan's chief supervisor. He was a professor of computer science and was shot according to Turkish media.

Crowds chanted 'Fethullah will come and pay,' 'Allah is Great' and 'We want the death penalty.' Erdogan said that in democracies, 'you cannot push the wish of the people to one side' but also said 'we are not after revenge.

On Saturday, Erdogan made a brief public appearance amid a phalanx of heavily-armed bodyguards, he said: 'They will pay a heavy price for this. This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army.'

Life in Turkey is back to normal after a failed coup attempt, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday afternoon, saying the central bank, capital markets board, banking system and stock exchange were all functional.

At least 265 people were killed in clashes between the armed forces and police. Scores of civilians were among the dead.

Rebel leader General Erdal Ozturk, who commands armed forces in Istanbul has been arrested and charged with treason. The state-run news agency Anadolu said the commander of the Second Army, which guards the borders with Iraq, Syria and Iran has also been detained.

Many soldiers who participated in the coup have been beaten up by Erdogan's supporters.

Meanwhile, a Turkish government official reported that the commander of an air base used by U.S.-led coalition jets that conduct bombing runs against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria has been detained.

The official said Sunday that Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, ten other soldiers and one police officer from the Incirlik base are detained for their role in the botched Friday coup attempt.

The Turkish private DHA news agency showed footage of Van handcuffed and pushed into a van outside a courthouse.

The President accused the plotters of being part of a conspiracy led by his former ally Fethullah Gulen, who is based in Pennsylvania. The US-based preacher accused Erdogan of staging the coup himself to justify his purge.

In his address to his fanatical following, he revealed how he was almost assassinated while on holiday. He said: 'They bombed places I had departed from right after I was gone. They probably thought we were still there.'

Military tanks were stopped by supporters from occupying Ataturk airport in Istanbul after civilians lay down in the road to prevent them passing.

Data on Flight Radar 24 showed Erdogan's jet circling for more than 30 minutes south of Istanbul until it was safe for the aircraft to approach the airport.

After he emerged from the jet, he announced the coup was over before branding the rebel soldiers as 'traitors'.

Turkish officials claimed some of the plotters were based in Incirlik air base in the south east of the country from where the US military is conducting bombing missions against ISIS in northern Syria.

Tens of thousands of supporters of the regime gathered in cities across Turkey with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim claiming those behind the coup 'will receive every punishment they deserve'.

He and Erdogan have indicted laws banning the death penalty could be repealed so those involved in the coup could be executed.

Eight members of the coup fled to Greece on a stolen Blackhawk helicopter.

Greek PM Alexis Tsipras said the eight men's asylum applications would be dealt with 'quickly.

Soner Cagaptay, director of the Turkish research at The Washington Institute said Erdogan has been strengthened by the coup.

He said the president was now a 'sort of mythical figure'.

Cagaptay said: 'It will allow him (Erdogan) to crack down on liberty and freedom of association, assembly, expression and media in ways that we haven't seen before and find strong public support within the country.'

Fadi Hakura, a Turkey expert at the Chatham House think tank in London, said the attempted coup appeared to have been 'carried out by lower-ranking officers'.

'Their main gripe seems to have been President Erdogan's attempt to transform his office into a powerful and centralised executive presidency. In the short term, this failed coup plot will strengthen President Erdogan.'

The President made his triumphant return back to Istanbul after his forces quelled the coup on Friday evening, as he warned that the members of the military behind the plot to oust him would pay a 'heavy price for their treason'.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that, while the death penalty was abolished in Turkey in 2004, the country may consider legal changes to deter any such coup happening again.

The Greek police ministry said a Turkish military helicopter landed in Greece this morning and eight men on board, thought to be senior coup plotters, have requested political asylum. Turkey has asked for the men, made up of seven soldiers and one civilian, to be extradited back to the country.

The rebel army faction - who call themselves the 'Peace Council' - said they were trying to overthrow the government to 'protect human rights' and restore democracy from Erdogan's Justice and Development Party, AKP, which has repeatedly faced criticism from human rights groups and Western allies over its brutal crackdowns on anti-government protesters.

However, Erdogan has blamed his old scapegoat, Fethullah Gulen for orchestrating the uprising. Muslim cleric Gulen, the president's rival who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, U.S. as the head of a billion dollar religious movement, has often been blamed for political unrest in Turkey.

The five hours of chaos began when two busloads of soldiers burst into the headquarters of the state-run TRT news agency, taking news off the air and replacing it with a stream of weather forecasts.

After launching the coup, the Turkish military imposed a curfew on civilians telling them to stay in their homes, but Erdogan called on supporters to ignore the order and take to the streets, which is thought to have caused the army to relinquish control.

Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar was taken hostage at the military headquarters in the capital Ankara after an attempt to bring down the government, but was rescued during the night.

One military official, Navy Fleet Commander Admiral Veysel Kosele, is currently unaccounted for and it is unknown whether or not he was part of the coup against President Erdogan.

Turkey's state-run news agency said five warships which reportedly set sail during the attempted coup have returned to their military port in northwest Turkey, but it is unclear whether or not the Admiral was abroad one of the ships.

After the uprising was crushed in the early hours of Saturday morning, Erdogan told the gathered masses at Ataturk Airport that those loyal to Gulen had 'penetrated the Armed Forces and the police, among other government agencies, over the past 40 years'.

'What is being perpetrated is a rebellion and a treason,' Erdogan said. 'They will pay a heavy price for their treason to Turkey.'

Up to 100 rebel soldiers surrendered on Bosphorus Bridge after their failed uprising. At least 2,863 connected have been arrested in connection with the dramatic coup which lasted approximately five hours.

New British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said on Twitter that he has spoken to Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu following the attempted military coup, adding: 'I underlined UK support for the democratic elected government and institutions.'

Explosions and gunfire erupted in Istanbul and Ankara on Friday night during the coup which killed at least 250 people in the army's bid to overthrow the Islamic government.

Elsewhere troops opened fire on civilians attempting to cross the river Bosporus in Istanbul in protest to the military coup, while a bomb exploded at the parliament building according to the state's press agency as the security situation in the country becomes more perilous.

Colonel Muharrem Kose reportedly led the Turkish military forces in the uprising.

Kose had recently been kicked out of the army, from his position as head of the military's legal advisory department, over his links to Gulen. He was killed during the clashes with Erdogan's supporters, sources report.

As military took to the streets, Erdogan had urged his supporters to ignore a curfew and take back control of the country.

Tanks and armoured personnel carriers tried to seize strategic points in Istanbul and Ankara but were faced down by unarmed civilians who lay down in front of the heavy armour.

Police special forces headquarters was also hit and was razed to the ground. Other witnesses reported attack helicopters firing machine guns in the capital Ankara in a bid to depose the Islamic government.

There were also reports that a Turkish Air Force F-16 had shot down a Sikorsky helicopter over Ankara. The government claimed the jet destroyed the helicopter which had been 'hijacked by coup plotters'.

In Takism square, around 30 rebel soldiers surrendered following a gun battle with police loyal to Erdogan. A number of F-16 fighter jets had screamed across the square at low level blasting the area with a sonic boom.

During the night, both the civilian government and the military claimed they were in control of the country, with reports of sporadic gunfire and explosions.

In a statement, the army faction said that they took action 'to reinstall the constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms, to ensure that the rule of law once again reigns in the country, for the law and order to be reinstated'.

The Turkish military has also long seen its role as safeguarding Turkey's secularist agenda, and has staged numerous coup's over the last 60 years when it feels the government's stance is moving too far away from that.

Meanwhile, Erdogan made it clear he believes rival Gulen is behind the attack.

Gulen's nonprofit organization, the Alliance for Shared Values, denies any involvement and condemned the actions of the Turkish military.

Gulen, 75, was initially a close ally of Erdogan, who rose from the mayor of Istanbul to prime minister before he became president in 2014.

But the two fell out over a massive corruption scandal in 2013 that cost the country $100billion in a campaign thought to be initiated by Gulen's followers against Erdogan's closest allies.

Trained as an imam, Fethullah Gulen gained notice in Turkey some 50 years ago, promoting a philosophy that blended a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue.

Erdogan has long accused Gulen of plotting to overthrow the officially secular government from a gated 26-acre compound in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, which has a population of about 1,100.

The President, who was on vacation in the resort town of Marmaris when the coup began, issued a statement to CNN tonight referring to a 'parallel structure' behind the coup, a reference to Gulen's followers.

There's a whole bunch of pictures at the link.

[Ryan Ruck]

Did Erdogan STAGE The Coup? US-Based Turkish Cleric Facing Extradition Over Botched Rebellion Claims President Orchestrated Plot To Justify A Clampdown On Civil Rights

July 17, 2016

A US-based Turkish cleric accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Ankara government has claimed President Recep Erdogan staged the rebellion himself to justify a major clampdown on opposition forces.

Fethullah Gulen, who was a former key ally of Erdogan has been blamed by the politician of using his contacts to develop a 'parallel structure' to overthrow the state.

Erdogan has called on US President Barack Obama to extradite Gulen, who is based in Pennsylvania.

In response to the attempted rebellion, Turkish authorities have detained 2,745 judges and prosecutors whose loyalty to the regime has been questioned.

Also, some 2,839 soldiers - including the head of the Third Army Corps in Istanbul, General Erdal Ozturk - have been arrested.

PM Binali Yildrim described the plot, which claimed the lives of 161 civilians with 1,440 wounded, as a 'black stain on Turkish democracy'.

Speaking from his home, Gulen claimed democracy in Turkey could not be achieved through military action.

He condemned the plot, although authorities in Ankara are not convinced.

He said: 'There is a slight chance, there is a possibility that it could be a staged coup. It could be meant for court accusations and associations.'

He added: 'It appears that they have no tolerance for any movement, any group, any organisation that is not under their total control.'

President Erdogan told a crowd chanting for the death penalty on Saturday that such demands may be discussed in parliament after a coup attempt by a faction in the military killed at least 161 people.

Looking relaxed and smiling, giving an occasional thumbs up to his supporters in Istanbul, Erdogan said the coup attempt had been carried out by a minority in the army.

He said: 'The army is ours, not that of the parallel structure. I am chief commander.'

Earlier Erdogan urged the US to extradite Gulen claiming Turkey never turned down an extradition request from Washington for 'terrorists'.

He said: 'I say if we are strategic partners then you should bring about our request.'

Secretary of State John Kerry said: 'We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen. And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey, as we always do, to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny. And the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments about it appropriately.'

A Turkish government official said the government 'has been preparing a formal application with detailed information about Gulen's involvement in illegal activities. After last night, we have one more thing to add to an already extensive list'.

Gulen is understood to maintain significant support among some members of the military and mid-level bureaucrats. His movement called Hizmet includes think tanks, schools and various media enterprises. Gulen and Erdogan only became estranged in recent years.

In a statement, Gulen said he condemned, 'in the strongest terms, the attempted military coup in Turkey.'

He said: 'Government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force," he said. "I pray to God for Turkey, for Turkish citizens, and for all those currently in Turkey that this situation is resolved peacefully and quickly.'

Gulen sharply rejected any responsibility: 'As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt. I categorically deny such accusations.'

In an incredibly rare interview, Gulen said he would never return to Turkey because he would fear being 'persecuted and harassed'.

Speaking from his home in Pennsylvania, Gulen said: 'This is a tranquil and clean place and I enjoy and I live my freedom here. Longing for my homeland burns in my heart, but freedom is also equally important. If I were to send him a message, he would probably consider it as a slur and reject it,'

He added: 'But I have always prayed for myself and for him. I have prayed to God to lead us to the straight path, to the virtuous path.'

[Ryan Ruck]

US Ready To Activate Protection Measures At Incirlik Base In Turkey

The US Air Force is aware of the coup in Turkey and will take appropriate force protection measures to ensure the safety of the active duty personnel at Incirlik air base, a US Air Force spokesperson told Sputnik on Friday.

July 16, 2016

The spokesperson added "the seriousness of the threat" will determine the measures the Air Force will resort to.

"Only active duty personnel remain at Incirlik. Whenever a threat is presence we take the appropriate force protection measures. The seriousness of the threat will determine the type of force protection measures," the spokesperson said.

[American Patriot]

Turkey Cuts Power to Incirlik Air Base, Suspends Military Flights



Senior Airman German Rubio-Arroyo, 39th Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment journeyman, refuels a C-17 Globemaster cargo aircraft during a wing exercise June 27, 2014, at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Nicole Sikorski/Air Force

Jul 16, 2016 | by Richard Sisk
Power to the huge U.S. airbase at Incirlik in southeastern Turkey was cut off Saturday and flight operations against ISIS were shut down in the aftermath of the failed military coup.
The U.S. military was still seeking a full accounting of all personnel and dependents in Turkey, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said in a statement.
"All indications at this time are that everyone is safe and secure," he said. "We will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety and security of our service members, our civilians, their families and our facilities."
Cook said the Turkish government "has closed its airspace to military aircraft and, as a result, air operations at Incirlik Air Base have been halted at this time."
There was no indication when flights against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, would resume.
Cook said U.S. Central Command was making adjustments with aircraft operating out of other regional bases "to minimize any effects on the campaign."
In addition, commercial power to the base where about 2,000 mostly Air Force personnel are stationed was cut off but the base was able to function on internal power, he said.
The statement contrasted with the initial reports from defense officials Friday night as the coup was underway. At the time they said Incirlik was not affected and flight operations were continuing.
U.S. European Command, which has responsibility for Turkey, evacuated about 600 of the estimated 700 military families who resided at Incirlik following the terror attacks on the Brussels airport and Metro in March. However, a defense official told Military.com Friday night that about 100 dependents were still in Turkey.
NATO ally Turkey was rocked Friday by clashes between the coup militants and forces loyal to the government of President Recep Tayyin Erdogan that left at least 265 dead and 1,440 wounded, according to Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. At a news conference Saturday in Ankara, the capital, Yildirim called the failed coup "a stain on the history of democracy."
The coup appeared to be succeeding until Erdogan made a dramatic landing Friday night at the Istanbul airport to rally supporters.
In statements Saturday, Erdogan blamed the coup attempt on followers of Muslim cleric Feethullah Gulen, a former ally now living in exile in Pennsylvania. Referring to Gulen, Erdogan said "I have a message for Pennsylvania: You have engaged in enough treason against this nation. If you dare, come back to your country."
A statement released on the website of his group, the Alliance for Shared Values, quoted Gulen as saying that he condemned the coup attempt and supported democracy.
"As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt," Gulen said. "I categorically deny such accusations."
President Barack Obama was kept advised of the Turkey situation by his national security and foreign policy teams but he had not as yet called Erdogan, the White House said in a statement at midday Saturday.
In the meetings, "the President reiterated the United States' unwavering support for the democratically-elected, civilian government of Turkey," the statement said.
"While we have no indications as of yet that Americans were killed or injured in the violence, the President and his team lamented the loss of life and registered the vital need for all parties in Turkey to act within the rule of law and to avoid actions that would lead to further violence or instability," the statement said.
--Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

[American Patriot]

80 nukes. Troops that can launch them are trapped there... this will NOT go well.

I expect them to start dismantling the weapons, or preparing to destroy them in some manner. Or even detonate one to prevent a complete take over.

Funny thing.... I had no idea about the missiles last night, and I had TWO dreams about nuclear devices being detonated by terrorists.... This is so freakin' weird to be reading this shit right now.

[American Patriot]

I just got word that the Base Commander has been detained, along with several others. I can't confirm this yet. It is coming from an unknown source.

[American Patriot]

Turkey Arrests Incirlik Air Base Commander

Commander was complicit in coup attempt, official says

ENLARGE
A U.S. Navy plane maneuvers on the runway of the Incirlik Air Base, southeastern Turkey, in July 2015. PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS



By JULIAN E. BARNES

Updated July 17, 2016 10:50 a.m. ET5 COMMENTS

Turkish officials arrested the commander of the Incirlik Air Base, which the U.S. uses to carry out airstrikes against Islamic State in Syria, for complicity in Friday’s coup attempt, U.S. and Turkish officials said Sunday.
A senior Turkish official said Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, the base commander, as well as 11 other service members from the base and a police officer, were placed under arrest.
The arrests came after Turkish F-16s operated by plotters involved in the coup attempt to refuel from two airborne tankers operating out of the Turkish portion of the air base.
It isn’t clear how the arrests could affect the base. One U.S. official said Turkey moved to put another officer in charge quickly.
Speaking on CNN, Secretary of State John Kerry said U.S. operations against Islamic State won’t be interrupted because of the events in Turkey. He said the U.S. military experienced some minor difficulties, apparently because “there may have been some refueling that took place with the Turkish Air Force with planes that were flying in the coup itself.”
What We Know About the Attempted Military Coup in Turkey


EMRAH GUREL/ASSOCIATED PRESS


Mr. Kerry said he expected U.S. operations would return to normal “very quickly.”
On Saturday, power to the base was cut, forcing the U.S. portion of the facility to use backup generators. Turkish officials closed the airspace around the base on Saturday. U.S. defense officials said Sunday that in consultation with Turkey the airspace had been reopened, allowing strikes against Islamic State militants to resume.
“After close coordination with our Turkish allies, they have reopened their airspace to military aircraft. As a result, counter-ISIL coalition air operations at all air bases in Turkey have resumed,” said Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook, referring to Islamic State by another name.
The U.S. official said the closure of the airspace appears to be a measure put in place to prevent coup plotters from escaping. A group of officers involved in the coup attempt on Saturday flew from Turkey to Greece and requested asylum.
The Incirlik base, some 60 miles from the Syrian border, is a key facility for the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. Many of the U.S. strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria are conducted from the base.

After a failed military coup Friday that rocked Turkey, leaving over 250 dead, Turkish President Recep Erdogan's government has reasserted control. Loyalist elements of the Turkish military have begun seizing buildings back from the coup plotters, and more than 2,800 military personnel have been detained for questioning. Photo: Getty


While some security experts said the aftermath of the attempted coup would affect military-to-military relations, U.S. officials said they expected the relationship to get on track quickly.
“You will see a potential indictment, jailing, firing, or resignation of dozens if not hundreds of generals which will have a debilitating effect on the military’s effectiveness,” said Soner Cagaptay, the director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Instate for Near East Policy.
Senior U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials said that as top Turkish military officials are likely to remain in power any disruption in cooperation will likely be temporary.
“The top-level leadership understand the importance of the alliance,” said the U.S. official.
Although some analysts say the coup could derail Turkey’s commitment to the fight against Islamic State, Western officials said that wouldn’t be in the interests of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
A senior NATO official said that Turkey now sees Islamic State as a threat in a way that it didn’t before the attack on Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport last month.
“Erdogan feels the IS threat in a way he didn’t a year ago,” the official said. “I don’t know how he can close the door on cooperation. I don’t know how he can walk a way from that.”
—Emre Peker and Dion Nissenbaum contributed to this article.
Write to Julian E. Barnes at julian.barnes@wsj.com

[American Patriot]

Kerry blows it off again. Apparently he's getting regular sex with the Russians now, with ISIS members,with Muslims in general, and probably with Michelle Obama and Hillary too, so he's happy.

[American Patriot]

From what I can gather from the various articles and outlets, it appears the Base Commander of Incirlik was a Turk. He and several others were arrested in conjunction with planes that were doing aircraft refueling. Those planes were flown by officers of the Turkish AF and not US military personnel. In fact, none of the personnel who were arrested were American.

We, the USA are allies with Turkey - and as such "can not interfere with local police actions" or some such BS where allies are concerned.

It APPEARS the coup attempt was a few men in the Turkish military who were trying to seize power from Erodagan and for whatever reason failed.

It also APPEARS that the President of Turkey is on the side of ISIS.

It ALSO APPEARS that Obama supports him, and not Freedom.

The world has become a darker place today.


By the way, they are executing those guys, hanging and beheading. I'm not posting any pictures because no one wants to see that. We know how Muslims treat everyone, including their own who disagree with them. Suffice it to say, there are no trials. Just killings.

[vector7]

Erdogan Purges 8,000 Cops As Europe Voices Concern Coup Was Staged With "Prepared Arrest Lists"

by Tyler Durden
Jul 18, 2016 6:44 AM

Overnight Turkish president Erdogan's counter-coup witch hunt continued, when thousands of police officers were suspended on Monday, widening a systemic purge of Erdogan's enemies first in the armed forces and then judiciary after a failed military coup, now focusing on the interior police force, and raising concern among European allies that it was abandoning the rule of law. Reuters reports that at least 8,000 police officers have been removed from their posts, in addition to 1,500 at the ministry of finance, on suspicion of links to Friday's coup.

Thirty regional governors and more than 50 high-ranking civil servants have also been dismissed, CNN Turk said. Thousands of members of the armed forces, from foot soldiers to commanders, were rounded up on Sunday, some shown in photographs stripped to their underpants and handcuffed on the floors of police buses and a sports hall. Several thousand prosecutors and judges have also been removed.

At the same time speculation that the terribly planned "coup" was anything but came from the European Commission itself. As Reuters adds, the swift rounding up of judges and others after a failed coup in Turkey indicated the government had prepared a list beforehand, according to EU commissioner dealing with Turkey's membership bid, Johannes Hahn, said on Monday.

"It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage," Hahn said. "I'm very concerned. It is exactly what we feared."

It is also exactly what Erdogan has expected and hoped for. And with broad western support for Erdogan over the weekend, his mission to concentrate all Turkish power in his own hands is now assured.
Meanwhile, Erdogan on Sunday told crowds of supporters, called to the streets by the government and by mosques across the country, that parliament must consider their demands to apply the death penalty for the plotters. "We cannot ignore this demand," he told a chanting crowd outside his house in Istanbul late on Sunday. "In democracies, whatever the people say has to happen."

Once again, Europe pushed back however, when Volker Kauder, parliamentary leader of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party bloc, said Turkey must obey the rule of law. “If the death penalty were to be decided, the negotiations would certainly be at an end,” Kauder says in ZDF television interview, referring to talks with the EU. “We mustn’t let it go unchallenged if the rule of law isn’t obeyed.”

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz also said it would be unacceptable for Turkey to reintroduce the death penalty, which it abolished in 2004. Abolishing capital punishment was a prerequisite for talks with Turkey on membership of the European Union, to which it still aspires.

But... this is Turkey: the law is whatever Erdogan says it is.

Others also realized what they have done, but it was too late. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned the Turkish government on Monday against taking steps that would damage the constitutional order. "We were the first... during that tragic night to say that the legitimate institutions needed to be protected," she told reporters on arrival at an EU foreign ministers meeting, which was also to be attended by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

"We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the country," she said in Brussels. "There is no excuse for any steps that take the country away from that."

Actually the excuse came and went over the weekend, when - with Europe's blessing - Erdogan not only repelled the fake coup, but also got a green light to crackdown on anyone who is even remotely critical of him.

And, oh yes, Erdogan still holds all the leverage: some two million Syrian refugees he can unleash on Europe at any moment he wishes.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-0...d-arrest-lists

[MinutemanCO]

I sure hope we defend Incirlik Air Base to the greatest extent possible. 1,500 personnel and 80 nukes?

If we were strong in leadership, we'd deploy aircraft carriers to the northeastern Med and immediately issue ultimatums. We'd get out the big bat and be on the offensive instead of playing wait and see.

[vector7]

I sure hope we defend Incirlik Air Base to the greatest extent possible. 1,500 personnel and 80 nukes?

If we were strong in leadership, we'd deploy aircraft carriers to the northeastern Med and immediately issue ultimatums. We'd get out the big bat and be on the offensive instead of playing wait and see.

[Ryan Ruck]

From what I've read from those with experience there, there are procedures for destroying the nukes in place with explosives and "other methods". Plans drawn up during the Cold War in case the Soviets overran the place...

[Ryan Ruck]

[American Patriot]

The problem with destroying the nukes is all personnel over there are as good as dead, and they will defend that shit until that minute comes.

Personally, I'd want to launch those fuckers at the incoming horde because if I'm going to die, I'm going to go in a blaze of fucking glory.

Good thing I am not there I guess

[Ryan Ruck]

From what I understand, they're all B61 gravity bombs.

[American Patriot]

I don't think that is accurate. I'm almost certain they are cruise missiles with nuclear warheads.

[vector7]

Erdogan’s Staged Coup Has Resulted In A Purge Of 50,000 Teachers, Judges, Soldiers And Government Officials

By Michael Snyder, on July 19th, 2016

Barack Obama’s “friend” in Turkey is a deeply corrupt radical Islamist dictator that has just staged a coup to consolidate his grip on power. As I have reported previously, 1,845 “journalists, writers and critics” have been arrested for “insulting” President Erdogan over just the past two years, and a couple of years ago he had a monstrous 1,100 room presidential palace built for himself that is 30 times larger than the White House. With each passing day, more evidence emerges which seems to indicate that the recent “coup” was a staged event meant to enable Erdogan and his allies to eliminate their enemies and solidify their stranglehold over the nation. At this point the number of victims of “Erdogan’s purge” has hit 50,000, but the final number will not be known for quite some time.
Of course there is a possibility that the coup was not staged, but if it wasn’t staged it was the worst military coup that I have seen in my entire lifetime. As Fox News has pointed out, not a single high level member of government was killed or detained…

Among the questions being asked are why coup plotters didn’t execute the most basic steps in seizing power, like securing Erdogan and other top officials. Not a single member of his cabinet and inner-circle AKP party leadership was detained. Nor did coup plotters effectively take control of TV, radio and internet outlets. The government TRT station and CNN Turk were for a time occupied by alleged coup plotters, who quickly retreated as the putsch fell apart.

It is being reported that soldiers that took part in the coup claimed “that they thought that they were taking part in military exercises”, and those running the “coup” allowed Erdogan’s plane to fly across the country without incident. Here is more from Fox News…

Coup plotters also failed to secure most airports and other transportation hubs, didn’t occupy or attack Erdogan’s $600 million presidential palace, and failed to intercept his plane before, during or after he flew from one of the country’s busiest and most accessible airports back to Istanbul. This despite the supposed active participation of top generals in Turkey’s Air Force, which maintains a fleet of F-16 aircraft easily capable of tracking, intercepting or – if it came to it – shooting down Erdogan’s plane.

There were opposition soldiers that did occupy Ataturk International Airport for a short time, but they suspiciously left just in time for Erdogan’s plane to land.
So much about this supposed “coup” absolutely stinks, and that includes the fact that lists of judges, teaches, soldiers and government officials to be rounded up after the coup appear to have been prepared ahead of time. This is so obvious that even the EU commissioner in charge of Turkey’s membership bid, Johannes Hahn, is commenting on it…

“It looks at least as if something has been prepared. The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage,” Hahn said.
“I’m very concerned. It is exactly what we feared.”

So far, at least 50,000 people have been rounded up or stripped of their positions since the coup. The following breakdown of “the purge” comes from the BBC …

• 6,000 military personnel have been arrested, with more than two dozen generals awaiting trial
• Nearly 9,000 police officers have been sacked
• Close to 3,000 judges have been suspended
• Some 1,500 employees of Turkey’s finance ministry have been dismissed
• 492 have been fired from the Religious Affairs Directorate
• More than 250 staff in Mr Yildirim’s office have been removed

Not included in that list are 15,200 education workers and 1,577 university deans that were just sacked…

But while Turkey’s press is already mostly under Erdogan’s control, it is the educational witch hunt fallout that is far more troubling, and just as expected over the past hour we have gotten a glimpse of just how extensive the Turkish’s president cleansing of secular society will be, when the state-run Anadolu news agency reported that 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.

In addition, the teaching licenses of 21,000 teachers there were employed at private educational institutions have been revoked.
In one fell swoop, Erdogan is eliminating as much institutional opposition to his leadership as he possibly can. And not only is he stripping them of their jobs and arresting many of them, CNN is reporting that he actually wants to push for the death penalty for anyone that has any connection to “treason”…

Turkey’s President refuses to rule out the death penalty for thousands of people arrested after a failed military coup Friday, despite warnings that reintroducing capital punishment could dash Turkey’s chances of joining the European Union.
Speaking through his translator in an exclusive interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the failed military coup a “clear crime of treason.”
The Turkish people have made it clear they want death for the “terrorists” who plotted the coup, Erdogan said in his first interview since the July 15 attempt.

Erdogan has been a radical Islamist throughout his entire political career, and his goal has always been to transform Turkey from a highly secular society into a highly Islamic one.
Sadly, now he has the power to do just that.
So what does the future hold for people of other faiths in Turkey? Well, we may have gotten some clues on the night of the alleged “coup”…

During the night of 15 July, unidentified assailants broke the glass panels in the door of the Malatya Protestant Church. The pastor, Tim Stone, said he thought someone with a grudge against the church had taken advantage of the general unrest.
Meanwhile, in Trabzon, on the northern coast, around 10 people smashed the windows of the Santa Maria Catholic Church, where in 2006 a priest, Fr. Andrea Santoro, was murdered. The attackers tried to break into the church, but a group of Muslim neighbors drove them away, before contacting a priest.

And as Erdogan continues to transform into a Turkish version of Adolf Hitler, he is putting his nation’s membership in NATO in jeopardy. The following comes from the Telegraph…

In an ideal world, it would be in everyone’s interests for Mr Erdogan to cease his efforts to turn Turkey into an Iranian-style Islamic republic, thereby allowing Turkey to retain its place at Nato’s top table. But if he really is determined to pursue his radical Islamist agenda, then Nato will have no option but to rid itself of its troublesome Turkish ally.

What is happening in Turkey right now is truly chilling.
A country that is already a member of NATO and that was supposed to become a member of the European Union is rapidly becoming a hardcore radical Islamic dictatorship.
Let us keep a close eye on these developments, because ultimately they could have tremendous implications for Europe and for the entire Middle East in the years ahead.

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/a...ment-officials

[vector7]

The Hostage Air Base – and Its Hydrogen Bombs

July 20, 2016
By Stephen D. Bryen and Shoshana Bryen

The United States runs its air operations against ISIS in Iraq from Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. The base, used by other NATO forces as well, is not American. It is Turkish, and the U.S. needs government permission to fly from there. Since the 15 July coup attempt in Ankara, U.S. forces at Incirlik are essentially hostages to the Turkish government. The Turkish base commander and his aides have been arrested; U.S. personnel are confined to base; outside power has been cut off; and while the U.S. has been permitted to resume operations over Iraq and Syria, it is working under adverse conditions, to say the least. Most worrisome, about 50 hydrogen bombs are stored by the U.S. at Incirlik, ostensibly on behalf of NATO. These bombs are "protected" by Turkish troops and to some degree their potential use is shared with the Turkish Air Force.

The deployment goes back more than 50 years, begun as an effort to counter the Soviet military buildup as an offset to quantitatively larger Soviet ground forces facing Europe. But by the mid-1980s the U.S. put more emphasis on "tactical" missiles, largely to counter the Soviet Union's deployment of SS-20's, a short to medium range missile with multiple, independently targeted warheads (MIRV) in the second and third versions of the SS-20. In 1987 the Intermediate and Short-range Missile Nuclear Treaty (INF) was signed and the Russians and the U.S. began removing their missiles. By 1991, all the missiles of concern on both sides were eliminated.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the expansion of NATO, one can ask why tactical nuclear weapons in NATO were retained as times and conditions have changed. The U.S. now finds itself escalating operations out of Incirlik as it increases the fight against ISIS, al Nusra, and al Qaeda. Turkey itself is increasingly authoritarian and increasingly involved in the wars in Syria and Iraq as well as fighting Kurdish separatists. But only late in 2015 did Incirlik see the beginning of security upgrades for its nuclear stockpile.

Why didn't we just take them out?

Incirlik nuclear weapons are unlikely to be used against Russia. The missiles need to be delivered by aircraft that can penetrate Russian air defenses -- which have been steadily improved. Newer Russian systems such as the S-300, S-400, and the soon to come S-500 raise a host of new challenges. As U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welch and LTG Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle, Chief of the Air Combat Command, have testified, there are ten or more -- and there will be more -- "integrated air defense systems in the world that you would have a difficult time operating in or around in aircraft." They didn't specifically mention Russia, but it can be assumed they meant U.S. Air Force conventional bombers would have a hard time with Russia's air defenses and newest radars. In a real conflict, it can be assumed that more likely than a U.S. strike on Russian nuclear weapons depots is a Russian strike on nuclear storage depots like Incirlik.

Furthermore, the old Soviet threat scenario no longer exists. While Russia is aggressive, especially around its perimeter, today's problem is qualitatively different from that posed by an organized Soviet attack on the Fulda Gap. The Russian army and navy are no longer of the size or capability to launch a real challenge to NATO -- even in NATO's current less-than-optimal state. While it could technically pick off some weak sisters like Estonia or Lithuania, such aggression could precipitate painful Western countermeasures. NATO could challenge Russia's Baltic and Black Sea fleets; it could attack Crimea; it could launch cross-border attacks to take out Russian military threats to NATO members. NATO could do a number of things, or nothing, but this is not an environment in which nuclear weapons would be useful.

It should be noted that the weapons kept in Turkey are each about ten times more powerful than the atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They should not be considered "tactical" at all. These are WMD -- that is, weapons of mass destruction. Keeping them in harm's way is an act of political irresponsibility.

And then there is the problem of Turkey. Increasingly radicalized, if Turkey were to acquire the weapons for itself -- say by expelling U.S. and NATO forces from Incirlik -- it would not only have the weapons, but the means to deliver them. Turkey has F-16s and nuclear-capable F-4 Phantom jets. A nuclear Turkey would become a significant threat in the Middle East in a multitude of directions (i.e., against Greece/Cyprus, against Israel, against Russia, against Iran). It would absolutely cause Iran to mount nukes on missiles (which it could quickly acquire from North Korea if not locally produced). A nuclear Turkey is immense threat to involve NATO in a conflict with no clear or positive outcome.

Finally, there is always the possibility of terrorists getting nuclear bombs. Under current political conditions, with the Turkish general staff and military decimated, the time is ripe for an external attack on Incirlik. The acquisition of a potentially usable nuclear weapon by terrorists is the worst nightmare of all.

It would be optimal to ship the weapons out of Turkey, but if that is not possible, there is a lesson from history. After the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, the U.S. physically disabled the nuclear weapons under its control. In any case, a rescue team should be positioned in the area, ready to intervene if necessary. For the U.S. to continue operating in a business-as-usual mode, but under hostage-like conditions, is extraordinarily risky.

http://www.americanthinker.com/artic...gen_bombs.html

[vector7]

Is Incirlik Air Base being held hostage by Turkey?

July 20, 2016



Vero Beach, FL - (TRUNEWS) For a fifth consecutive day, Turkey has intentionally withheld power and vital supplies from the U.S.-NATO joint installation Incirlik Air Base.

According to our sources, verified by TRUNEWS as parents and spouses of U.S. airmen currently stationed at Incirlik Air Base, no supplies have been flown or driven into the installation since Saturday, food and water are being strictly rationed, and only one week of fuel reserves remain to power their electric generators.

A wife of a Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) trapped in Incirlik Air Base told TRUNEWS correspondent Edward Szall that her husband ate only one meal Saturday at the bases dining facilities, and has since been sustaining himself on junk food and snacks.

“He told me that everyone is getting irritable, lots of amenities being taken away it’s starting to get to people,” the spouse said Tuesday night.

A mother of an airmen sequestered inside Incirlik told TRUNEWS that her son informed her early Wednesday that Turkish police are still blockading the base entrance, and that the electric generators — powering flight operations and the underground bunkers housing B-61 nuclear bombs — would remain on until fuel rations were extinguished. Her son also claimed that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter vetoed a plan to transfer all personnel and equipment from the base after the military coup began Friday night, citing that the move was “too expensive”.

On the July 19^th edition of TRUNEWS, host Rick Wiles interviewed Hans Kristensen, the Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, regarding the nuclear armaments housed at Incirlik Air Base. During the interview Mr. Kristensen noted the B-61 warheads would take approximately three weeks to transfer from the underground bunkers in the event of an emergency, even with a full military contingency facilitating the move.

Another mother of an airmen on deployment inside Incirlik told TRUNEWS that soldiers have ripped the doors and windows out of the bases dorm rooms to alleviate overheating among personnel — an issue steadily growing as air conditioning has been segmented solely for mission critical buildings. The mother, who wished to be referred to as “GP” to protect her sons identity, said he also told her Wednesday that the base only had fuel reserves for one more week of operations, and that after a week they are going to “shut-off the networks”.

TRUNEWS has also been in direct contact with airmen stationed at Incirlik, and other than confirming previous reports that the base is still in lockdown and experiencing supply shortages, the soldiers unanimously believe the severing of commercial electricity to the base was an intentional move to leverage the United States government.

On the July 19^th edition of TRUNEWS, Retired 4-Star U.S. Navy Admiral James A. “Ace” Lyons told Rick Wiles that Turkey — as a NATO partner — has had their military personnel trained by U.S. counterparts on the procedures for transferring, loading, and using the nuclear warheads located under Incirlik Air Base.

Both the Public Affairs office at Incirlik Air Base and the 39^th Mission Support Group commander, USAF Colonel Todd Stratton, have been contacted for comment.

In addition to the blockade,Turkish politicians loyal to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have publicly expressed concerns that U.S. officials used Incirlik Air Base to assist Friday’s military coup.

Debkafile reported Wednesday that Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim publicly insinuated that Americans may be viewed as partners, at least passive ones, in the conspiracy, in view of the use the plotters made of Incirlik for sending aircraft based there and arming them for the missions of intercepting the President’s airplane (which was never realized) and bombing the Parliament building in Ankara (which was).

Being more explicit, the Turkish Labor Minister, Süleyman Soylu, tweeted from his publicly verified twitter account:

“This coup has America behind.”

On Monday, a renowned Middle East correspondent named RamiAILolah, whose reports are often featured on ZeroHedge.com, led a call for a unified social media campaign under the hashtag “#CloseIncirlik”, tweeting to his followers:

“We all know they are war criminals but I need to do my part and so do you. I have a Twitter account & I need to do something.. Please tell your friends, families, everyone oppose the #USA terror strikes in #Syria & #Iraq about #CloseIncirlik. Spread it everywhere.”

RamiAlLolah also associated the #CloseIncirlik hashtag with the death of USAF 1^st Lieutenant Anais Tobar, who was found dead in her room Wednesday, on a U.S. military base in the United Arab Emerites.

RamiAlLolah tweeted Wednesday:

“Ghosts of #Syria|n children? Anti-#ISIS #USA soldier Lt. Anais Tobar found dead in her room in #UAE”

#CloseIncirlik https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CnzNJX_W8AAI2jr.jpg”

A Twitter account named Abu Maryam also used the #CloseIncirlik hashtag Wednesday, tweeting:

“#CloseIncirlik #Muslims will take revenge on the citizens of the west bcos of it .”

In response to the crisis, Secretary of State John Kerry told reporters Wednesday that he did not know when power may return to Incirlik Air Base.
Kerry said:

“we have not had our mission interrupted. Our mission continues, and we are told, our ambassador has been told, that the full power should be restored within a day or so to the base through the normal processes.”

Could Turkey be using Incirlik Air Base as a bargaining tool to form a nuclear caliphate? Could Incirlik Air Base be the next Benghazi?







ilhan tanir ‏@WashingtonPoint 3h
Asked “Did we see coup coming?” CIA Chief Mr. Brennan said,
“We…” and then laughed awkwardly before continuing.
http://on.wsj.com/2ab0SjW @WSJ






CIA Chief Hedges When Asked
if U.S. Saw Turkey Coup Coming

John Brennan says officials were well aware of sizable opposition
to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan


By Damian Paletta
July 20, 2016 10:58 a.m. ET

http://www.wsj.com/articles/cia-chie...ing-1469026725

MCLEAN, Va.—Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan
said intelligence officials were well aware of strains within Turkey
and sizable opposition to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, but he
wouldn't say whether they foresaw an attempted coup last week.

Mr. Brennan, speaking Tuesday evening to an audience at the
Intelligence and National Security Alliance, described the setting
U.S. officials were in Friday night when the attempted coup was
unfolding. “The first thing you do when you have a situation like that
is you try to ascertain the facts, and a lot of time…it’s very very difficult
because a lot of information is coming in and it is hard to distinguish
between rumors,” he said.

He was interviewed at the event by Jennifer Sims, a former State Department
official and intelligence expert. She then asked “Did we see it coming?”

Mr. Brennan, said, “We…” and then laughed awkwardly before continuing.

“There have been a number of developments in the Turkey political scene
over the last several years with now-President Erdogan…consolidating
power and authority,” Mr. Brennan said.

“It also sits astride a very unsettled area and with the challenges that
the PKK [Kurdistan Workers’ Party] and Kurdish terrorists present
to Turkey.”

He continued by saying that the CIA knew “there will be stresses and
strains on the [Turkish] government, and there have been a number
of actions that the government has taken to try to address the some
of what they perceive as opposition domestically. So we were aware
that the pressures [that they] were under as well as some of the
sentiments that people expressed.”

“We made sure that our policy makers were kept informed,” he said.
“That’s where our intelligence assessments go.”