The long night of the attempted coup d’etat It all started on Friday, July 15th, around 22.30, when the broadcaster NTV has shown images of the closure of the two bridges over the Bosphorus in Istanbul, without stating reasons, and CnnTurk showed the blocks set up by armed soldiers and military trucks on the bridges that connect the Asian part with the European part of the city. Shortly thereafter gunfire shots were heard in Ankara, while the city was overflown by jets and military helicopters. In Istanbul tanks blocked the Ataturk airport access, suspending all flights departing from the airport. Also in Istanbul gunshots were heard near the police headquarters, where the military ordered agents to deliver their weapons. While in Ankara hostages would be taken at the headquarters of the general staff, and among them there was the Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar. Public broadcaster TRT was also obscured. In the meantime, Turkish authorities have imposed a complete closure of the air base at Incirlik, in southern Anatolia, usually used by the United States and other countries that are part of the multinational coalition against the Islamic State.

First attempt to calm

Erdogan, who was on holiday on the Aegean coast, has appeared on CNN Turk by FaceTime from an undefined place. " The revolt comes from a minority of the army”, he said. “The nation needs to get off the streets and defend democracy and the government. It must give an answer to the coup leaders, resist the coup, rebel, take to the streets and fend off a military coup ". As times went by, it became clear that the attempted military coup failed, definitely neutralized by forces loyal to the government of President, while people joined in the street to celebrate.

Hours later, Erdogan was able to fly back to Istanbul, where supporters had, in the meantime, regained control of the airport, after a few hours in which rumors wanted him in search of political asylum in such countries as Germany, Britain and even Qatar. Returned to Istanbul, the president has granted more than a huge crowd in the airport area. Acclaimed by thousands of supporters, the ' Sultan ' thanked his people for having supported down to the streets, while a cheering crowd was waving Turkish flags and chanting to Allah. Once back in force, his reaction sounded threatening: “it’s a betrayal, they will pay a very high price”. “Turkey has a government and a president elected democratically", he said just after landing. The longest night in the recent Turkey’s history thus came to an end. Even the opposition, usually critics with the strong-man Erdogan, made statements in support of him: the HDP , the pro-Kurdish party , has rejected the coup stating that " the only solution is democratic politics”.

Victims of a foolish night

The attempt of coup has claimed the lives of 265 people not counting putschists. This was reported by Prime Minister BinaliYildrim, adding that the injured were 1,440 and 2,839 soldiers arrested. He also said that, although the country’s constitution isnot provided for the death penalty, the government will consider legal changes to ensure that similar attempts at coup will never happen again.

Conclusion

Who’s the hidden figure behind attempted golpe? Erdogan’s charge is that the mastermind behind the coup is his former ally, who eventually became number one enemy, 75-year-old Imam Fethullah Gulen, who was Erdogan’s ally until 2013 when the scandal that has involved many members of the AKP broke on corruption in the Turkish government.

President Erdogan accuses him of plotting last night’s failed coup d’etat. " I cannot imagine a country that can support this man, the leader of a terrorist organization, especially after last night. A country that supports him is no friend of Turkey. It would even be a hostile act toward us " said Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, referring to the US, where self-exiled tycoon Gulen lives since 1999. Yildirimsaid that Turkey has already sent a request for extradition. Gulen, in a statement, has condemned the coup attempt, vowing to be totally stranger to it: " For someone like me who has suffered from several military coups in the last five decades, it is particularly offensive to be accused of having links with such an attempt".

Article authored by Sonia Russo , info@soniarusso.it