Military Officer Fired for Gulenist Ties Named as Leader of Turkey's Coup

[Purveyor]

Colonel Muharrem Kose, a former officer in the Turkish Armed Forces was named by state-run Anadolu News Agency as the leader of the coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government.

04:59 16.07.2016(updated 08:40 16.07.2016)

The bloody coup attempt that struck Ankara on Friday now has a face — a former Turkish military officer who was dishonorably discharged in March 2016 for his alleged association with anti-government and US-based Imam Fethullah Gulen.

Colonel Muharrem Kose announced the formation of the "Peace Council," an interim government to restore democracy and human rights in Turkey that Erdogan's opponents claim have been stripped from the country as it had begun to drift ever closer to a theocracy after long being adored as the secular gem of the Middle East.

Military forces loyal to Colonel Kose seized the state-run TRT News station, the bridges, and Ataturk International Airport on Friday evening before being pushed back by Turkish forces loyal to Erdogan as bloody struggles have ensued throughout the country.

​It appeared that the coup effort had succeeded until President Erdogan took to CNN Turk, calling in via FaceTime, pleading with his countrymen to resist the effort to overthrow the government by taking to the streets. The move, initially mocked by Western media and leaders, appears to have been successful with millions of Turks taking to the streets to resist Colonel Kose's Peace Council.

more...

http://sputniknews.com/news/20160716/1043093391/erdogan-kose-military-coup-gulen.html

[Ghost Dog]

1. Turkey's attempted coup: what we know so far

The picture from Turkey is clearer on Saturday morning, with president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan insisting he remains in charge after a night in which a military faction attempted to overthrow the government.

Live Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan calls military uprising 'treason' – live updates
Read more
But pockets of violence continue, with some of those behind the coup claiming to be fighting on.

Here is what we know:

The attempted coup
An attempted military coup has apparently been defeated in Turkey, in a bid to oust the president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, accusing him of undermining the country’s secular traditions.
Erdoğan, who returned to Istanbul in the early hours of the morning from his holiday in the resort of Marmaris, said the attempted coup was “treason” undertaken by “a minority within our armed forces”.
The president urged people to take to the streets in defence of the government, prompting chaotic scenes as thousands protested alongside tanks...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/turkey-attempted-coup-what-we-know-so-far

[BlueMTexpat]

2. This Al Jazeera blog

is being continuously updated: http://live.aljazeera.com/Event/TURKEY_COUP_ATTEMPT

[malaise]

3. Excellent

Thanks