"Turkish prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for 140 Constitutional Court members and 48 members of the Council of State in the wake of Friday night’s attempted coup. Ten arrests have already been made, local media reported.
The ten jurists detained were all members of the Council of State, which is Turkey’s top administrative court, NTV broadcaster reported.
The arrests followed media reports that judges at other courts had been detained, as the government’s crackdown on the judiciary in the wake of the coup attempt widens.
Constitutional Court member, Alparslan Altan, has become the most senior judicial official to be arrested after the coup, CNN Turk broadcaster reported.
RT'S LIVE UPDATES on the attempted military coup in Turkey
Earlier on Saturday, Turkish authorities relieved 2,745 judges of duty.
The decision to sack the judges was made at an extraordinary meeting of Turkey’s High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), NTV broadcaster reported." RT
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From what I am hearing from sources in Turkey, this may have been a pre-emptive "false flag" operation in which a group of members of the armed forces were sent into the fraudulent "coup" by Erdogan loyalists among senior officers. He has appointed many. IOW the people in the "coup" may have been deliberately sacrificed as "props" so that Erdogan could whip up his followers and consolidate power before he changes the constitution to make himself an absolute ruler. pl
https://www.rt.com/news/351602-turkey-supreme-court-arrested/
According to Hurriyet newspaper's online edition, some of the privates who were detained told interrogators they were not aware that they were part of a coup attempt. They had been told by commanders they were taking part in military maneuvers. Some said they understood that it was a coup attempt when they saw civilians climb on tanks.
Posted by: Cee | 16 July 2016 at 02:06 PM
Cee
See my latest post. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 July 2016 at 02:14 PM
If it is a fraud, how can Ergodan close the Incirlik airbase until the US hands over Gulen? The act is so defiant, it implies they can either convince the US that their case is legitimate or that the US will be forced to go along with it anyway. Since I can't believe the second, I lean to the first, that Turkey can convince the US of its case.
Posted by: Russell | 16 July 2016 at 02:39 PM
There are several possibilities.
Erdogan obviously had lists prepared.
Some rumors say it was known that Erdogan would purge many and the coup was hastily launched to prevent that.
Others say Erdogan had info about coming coup, prepared for it and let it happen to use it for a purge.
Pat above suggest full false flag coup. Does not convince me (yet).
Others say a CIA/Gülen coup to prevent change in Turkish foreign policy towards Russia and Syria.
There are pro and cons for each variant and no evidence for any.
Now Erdogan is telling Obama to give up on Gülen or on Incirlik air base. "You can have either but not both."
Waiting for Obama's reply ...
Posted by: b | 16 July 2016 at 02:40 PM
Russell
You don't seem to grasp the idea that Turkey is an independent sovereign state that the Obama Administration has been sucking up to. Erdogan can do anything he wants. Didn't he recently blackmail the EU into giving him 6 billion Euros to stop sending migrants across the Aegean Sea. I see that you are Canadian. Do you really believe the US rules the world? What a joke! pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 July 2016 at 02:43 PM
Col.,
looks like the Sultan is going after all his domestic opponents. A Turkish "night of the long knives" are Mark Riebling called it on the prior thread. Here's the Sultan's orders to Obama:
http://www.wdsu.com/national/urgent-erdogan-demands-us-arrest-or-extradite-cleric/40742782
Posted by: Fred | 16 July 2016 at 02:45 PM
b
"and the coup was hastily launched to prevent that." If that were true, then the coup would have had Mass and it did not. "coming coup, prepared for it and let it happen to use it for a purge." If that is true he is one hell of a gambler because he could not know how big, how thorough and how savage the coup might be. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 July 2016 at 02:48 PM
No the US does not rule the world. Every day I see the world is more complicated than I thought. I have no illusions to understanding it in any deep sense.
Posted by: Russell | 16 July 2016 at 02:54 PM
I'm glad that the Obama Admin was able to so skillfully and quickly play the role that the Sultan had assigned them.
Posted by: JMGavin | 16 July 2016 at 03:05 PM
A "Reichstag Fire" type of Faux-Coup to be followed by many Nights of the Long Knives? After Erdogan thoroughly consolidates sole power, will he return to supporting the jihadis in Syria even harder? Will he wait and hope Clinton is elected so he will have an American President who shares his deep commitment to overthrow Assad?
Will the R + 6 consider the looming possibility of a Clinton election even more urgent a deadline to make the jihadis unrestorable before Erdogan's "soulmate-on-Syria" gets into the White House?
Posted by: different clue | 16 July 2016 at 03:08 PM
Col. Lang,
Was he attempting to flush out his opposition?
- Eliot
Posted by: Eliot | 16 July 2016 at 03:16 PM
Eliot
IMO he and his already had a long list. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 July 2016 at 03:22 PM
All
The Turkish government has cut off electricity to the base at Incirlik. I presume this is the sultan displaying his contempt for Obozo. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 July 2016 at 03:24 PM
I completely agree with Colonel Lang.
This ''coup'' was fischy from the begining.
About lynching of surrendered soldiers: tweeter Bahar Kimongur.... hastag Turkey Coups ... in French but graphic pictures showing democratic head shoppers at work.
Posted by: Charles Michael | 16 July 2016 at 03:24 PM
All,
A little fascinating history on Turkey and Operation Sledgehammer
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledgehammer_(coup_plan)
Posted by: Cee | 16 July 2016 at 03:43 PM
b,
I think that this is much more likely than a false flag conspiracy. Too much that can go wrong in that scenario. The coup attempt provides a pretext for Erdogan to implement a purge with prepared lists.
Gulen seems to be a convenient foil.
Erdogan's leverage is that Turkey is useful for US interests in the region.
Posted by: Will Reks | 16 July 2016 at 03:47 PM
I'm sure that President Obama will reciprocate with endless praise for the Turkish people and their demonstrated commitment to democracy, etc. Secretary Kerry has been traveling the world, a knee in search of someone to bend to. He can pencil in a visit to the Sultan's Court once Vladimir grows tired of him.
Posted by: JMGavin | 16 July 2016 at 03:51 PM
The timing was perfect. The two aircraft carriers that we temporarily had in the Mediterranean are gone. The Eisenhower transited the Suez on 8 July enroute to the Persian Gulf. The Truman transited Gibraltar on 2 July enroute to Norfolk. With Incirlik closed down, the jihadis have some breathing room to try to pull their nuts out of the fire at Manbij and in other areas. I think it's same to assume that the White House and State Department don't know whether to shit or go blind. Let's hope the Pentagon has a handle on the situation.
Posted by: The Twisted Genius | 16 July 2016 at 03:52 PM
Will Reks
Now, really, what could go wrong since he has the senior generals in his pocket? pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 16 July 2016 at 04:05 PM
The "Obozo" that you voted for twice?
Posted by: raven | 16 July 2016 at 04:05 PM
SST, Col. Lang
Turkey is bankrupt economically. Its tourism sector, agriculture, building sector and industrial output have all declined precipitously. Nothing which can happen in the next few weeks can change these facts in the short term. tayyip cannot prosecute a war against Syria or Iraq- he has no money,and no army. And he cannot keep his supporters happy unless he raises more money, and fast. His only hope is to play Obama against Putin and vice-versa. IMO Putin is far too shrewd for this. Let us see what Obama does. Any guesses?
BTW, gulen and his followers, those "mild islamists" , those dishonorable, mendacious architects of Sledge-hammer and Ergenekon travesties against secular officers deserve all they get and more. Karma?
Again, keep the Book of Hosea (thanks, Friend Thomas) and, particularly Hosea 8:7 in mind.
Ishmael Zechariah
Posted by: Ishmael Zechariah | 16 July 2016 at 04:45 PM
There are reports and photos in Turkish social media of the surrendered conscripts being beaten, lynched and even beheaded by the mobs to whom they surrendered. As noted elsewhere, the conscripts thought they were doing a military exercise, not participating in a coup. Also Turks are attacking Alawi and Kurd settlements. Erdogan is getting his payment, as he said, and it is getting ugly.
Posted by: oofda | 16 July 2016 at 05:25 PM
Yes my friend, it is a time of Whirlwinds and Whores, the zonah type that is.
Be safe.
Posted by: Thomas | 16 July 2016 at 05:27 PM
This appears to be a false flag operation.
quote from a zero hedge thread:
"The signs were obvious earlier. Gabriel Turner, 23, a management consultant from north London, who was on holiday in Istanbul, described to the Telegraph how there had been heavy police and security presence throughout the day before the military coup got underway after sunset.
"Earlier today there were police everywhere. I thought that was normal but the two Turkish girls I was with told me it wasn't normal. We were walking around the centre of Istanbul, at the Grand Bazaar there were police at every entrance and exit with lots of guns.
"A police helicopter was flying very low at sunset, it was about 8pm. It looked like it was searching for something. Later on, at about 10.30 I was in Karakoy, a bar area in the city centre and everyone started looking at their phones. A man who owns the bar told us that the army are taking over everything.
"Then we walked down towards the a quieter area by the sea. While we were walking, my friend said the army had closed brides across the Bosphorus. We could see army helicopters in the sky.
"We went inside a cafe and everyone was on their phones looking worried, texting. Lots of people were running to catch a ferry - because the bridges were shutting and people wanted to get home. Then policemen came out of the ferries on their walkie talkies, looking very alert."
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-07-15/martial-law-declared-turkey-helicopters-military-jets-flying-over-capital-army-tanks?page=1
Posted by: walrus | 16 July 2016 at 05:33 PM
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/turkey-coup-conspiracy-theory-erdogan-military-gift-from-god-soldiers-istanbul-a7140516.html
I'm not a conspiracy theorist as the post from UK's The Independent suggests, but I agree with COL Lang on this one. As many SST readers have noticed, on the GOT side there are too many responses happening too quickly for this to have been a "real" military coup. I also believe that when the Turkish military finally does conduct a coup, it will be very bloody very quickly.
Posted by: Bob | 16 July 2016 at 05:40 PM