Erdogan’s dictatorship rests on unstable tectonic plates, despite his current stabilization of power by means of a purge of tens of
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thousands of workers.
those wicked charlatans.
The strongholds of the Gulenists within the police, judiciary, and media had been destroyed in a series of purges, beginning in 2013. Also, rumours of plans to purge the Gulenists in the military were widespread. Gulenists had the motive, and Gulenist officers were likely involved in the coup. But were the Gulenists ca pable of this large-scale operation?
Almost one-third of the generals who headed com bat units were allegedly involved in the coup. The coup junta had operations not only in major cities, but also in smaller cities. It included top-level generals from all army, navy, and air forces, plus commanders of the police. Although Gulenists prefer to organize and operate behind the scenes, and hence their real power is hard to pin point, the scope of the uprising extends well beyond the reach of Gulenists by any cal culation. Rather, it is very likely that the coup included a much wider array of forces within the army.
We don’t have all the facts—and don’t imagine that we will get them any time soon. Erdogan has control over the judiciary, as well as the media, which could reveal the truth about the coup. Those who claim that Gulenists were very powerful in the army, how ever, cannot explain why Gulenists had not attempted a coup earlier, perhaps while they were still strong within the police. Similarly, if Gulenists were that strong in the army, one wonders, why didn’t Erdogan act to dismiss them or reduce their power?
The coup attempt was a manifestation of a tempo rary coalition of a wider array of forces within the