The alleged coup d’état Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan survived took place three years ago, but the nation’s strongman shows no sign of being ready to wrap up his campaign of vengeance on anyone and everyone suspected of knowing cleric-in-exile Fethullah Gulen. More than 150,000 members of civil service or military have lost their jobs; 77,000 are sitting in jail awaiting trial; and now, Erdogan has named an additional 82 members of the military who are being charged with being part of the plan to overthrow him. The new onslaught comes after Erdogan suffered the humiliation of his party losing the Istanbul mayoral election. Domestic and international rights groups have criticized Erdogan for his crackdown, charging that he uses the purges as a means of maintaining control and instilling fear in the population.
A banner with a photo of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is seen during a protest against Netanyahu’s ‘Immunity Law’ on May 25, 2019 in Tel Aviv, Israel (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)