Turkish dictatorship!

With this arrangement in place, I wonder how Erdogan is going to continue to sell his legitimacy to his base. [...]
Read my post #3.

He doesn't need to sell this at all, his followers already follow him blindly and don?t shy away from stupidity when it comes to making the argument for their beloved leader.
 
Read my post #3.

He doesn't need to sell this at all, his followers already follow him blindly and don?t shy away from stupidity when it comes to making the argument for their beloved leader.


I see where you're coming from but I don't agree. It's true that Turkey as a whole has little experience with egalitarian power structures and that this likely feels more comfortable for a country used to imperial stature followed by a very particular kind of nationalism. However, Erdogan is not the only Turk that knows how to play this game. Sure, he's effectively sidelined much of his in-party opposition through shrewd navigation, and those outside are feeling the squeeze now too, but he can't push everyone away forever, especially when his legitimacy is threatened by an assertive PKK and other Kurdish groups.

The Kurds (or any other similar group that challenges Turkish hegemony) can't off him themselves, but if they are able to challenge the perception of total AKP hegemony, someone will take advantage of that perceived weakness and use public dissatisfaction to replace Erdogan. Now with that in mind, Erdogan still needs to show that he can satisfy Turkish nationalist aspirations, and that he alone is capable of doing so. That requires brash action on his part.
 
Turkey pulled it's ambassador from Germany after they recognized the Armenian genocide from WW1 today.
 
... as they did with every ambassador from countries that acknowledged it before.
 
I know this was not a big surprise, just pointing out that it happened.
 
http://www.dw.com/en/bundestag-pass...nimously-turkey-recalls-ambassador/a-19299936
[...] Meanwhile Burhan Kuzu, a top member of the ruling AK Party, called ethnic Turkish members of the German parliament like ?zdemir who voted for the bill "traitors" and added that they "should not set foot" back in Turkey.
[...] Yildirim claimed that Turkey had nothing in its past that it needed to be ashamed of. "Ours is a country that prides itself with its past,"
Of course you do.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varlık_Vergisi
 
Last edited:
?The conquest means going beyond the walls that the West thought were impervious,? Mr. Erdogan said as the crowd roared. ?The conquest means a 21-year-old sultan bringing Byzantium to heel.?

If he wants to bring war to the West, I might suggest he look to a more recent past:

2560px-Pauwel_Casteels_-_Battle_of_Vienna_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
 
Unexpected news:

Turkey soldiers launch 'illegal action' - PM Yildirim

Turkey's PM has denounced an "illegal action" by a military "group", with bridges closed in Istanbul and aircraft flying low over the capital, Ankara. Binali Yildirim said the military action was not authorised but it was not a coup. He said that the government remained in charge. Traffic has been stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges in Istanbul. There are also reports of gunshots in the capital Ankara.
 
When you think it's already pretty bad, reality gives you the finger and makes it worse?
 
Well this is exciting. Military says they are in control, government say they are in control.

 
Last edited:
It is exciting in a kinda bad way. I wonder what NATO does (if anything). My thoughts are with the civilians.
 
Another aspect of the "guess what, it's actually worse" - a coup happening, successful or not, shines a bright light on how bad the pre-coup situation actually is... especially considering it's not just a few soldiers. Coup'ing (is that a word) with an airforce must take broad support.


Edit: From the Beeb's live feed, pretty much what I had in mind up there: "A European Union source tells the Reuters news agency: "It looks like a relatively well orchestrated coup by a substantial body of the military, not just a few colonels." "They control several strategic points in Istanbul. Given the scale of the operation, it is difficult to imagine they will stop short of prevailing," the source adds."
 
Last edited:
Bizarre watching this unfold. Reddit live feed of this is interesting - lots of currently unconfirmed reports that could have serious consequences.
 
I'm watching Planefinder and all the planes drawing interesting patterns in the sky. Ataturk is a major hub, can only guess how many people are stuck on the ground or diverted in the air.

It's also interesting to be cheering on the military in a coup situation, can't do worse than Erdogan.
 
I'm watching Planefinder and all the planes drawing interesting patterns in the sky. Ataturk is a major hub, can only guess how many people are stuck on the ground or diverted in the air.

:nod: quite a few planes are doing the nope nope nope meme.

can't do worse than Erdogan.

You say that, but... there's always worse.
 
Top