Erdogan Consolidates Power after Fifth Attempted Coup Failed

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is culling his military and judiciary in the aftermath of a bloody coup attempt that left at least 265 dead and more than 3,000 soldiers under arrest. It was the fifth attempt to unseat Erdogan from office, including his years as prime minister prior to his ascent to the presidency. In addition to rebels in the ranks of the military, Erdogan had “thousands” of judges arrested for alleged support of the coup attempt which used helicopters and tanks. The Parliament building sustained significant damage during an aerial bombardment. Analysts say a basic error by the rebels was its failure to remove Erdogan as part of the coup. Instead, the president returned from his vacation outside the country to rally the population to support him and his government. Erdogan is accusing cleric Fetullah Gulen, who is living in the United States, of masterminding the coup and has asked President Obama to extradite Gulen. Despite the US administration’s rapid reaction to the coup expressing support for the duly elected government, few believe the extradition request will be honored. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas held demonstrations in support of Turkish President Erdogan while the Palestinian Authority applauded his “triumph of victory.” See The Media Line’s Nick Ashdown’s report from Ankara at https://themedialine.org/news/turkeys-erdogan-survives-5th-attempted-coup ^[1]/