US officials said managing relations between the American military and its Turkish counterpart would be difficult because of divisions within the Turkish military over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These divisions would affect relations between the countries and complicate cooperation on Syria and other issues.
The remarks appeared in a New York Times report, which said Friday’s failed coup attempt had already visibly affected the campaign against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria through the closure of Incirlik Air Base.
Arabi21 quoted the New York Times as saying it was ironic that Erdogan turned to media guerrilla tactics when the military attempted a coup against him on Friday. He broadcast an address using FaceTime on an iPhone and asked Turks to oppose the plotters. The paper said Erdogan had not supported freedom of expression and had tightly controlled the media and restricted human rights and free speech.
The New York Times argued that the bloody and chaotic events of the previous two days suggested Erdogan would emerge stronger and determined to seek revenge. It said he would exploit the crisis to crush not only the military conspirators but also left-wing opponents. The report cited his warning that they would “pay a heavy price” and his statement: “This attempt is a gift from God because it will help us cleanse the army.”
The newspaper noted the Turkish military’s history of coups in defense of secularism. Although it had not seized power directly since 1980, prolonged tension had existed between the military and Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, which is rooted in Islamic movements.
Late on Friday evening, Ankara and Istanbul witnessed a failed coup attempt carried out by a limited group of military personnel affiliated with the “parallel entity” organization led by Fethullah Gulen. They attempted to close the two bridges connecting Istanbul’s European and Asian sides and take control of the city’s police headquarters and several public and private media institutions.
The attempt was met with international condemnation and widespread public protests in most cities and provinces. Large crowds headed toward parliament and military headquarters in Ankara, Istanbul’s international airport, and police headquarters in several cities. This forced military vehicles deployed around those locations to withdraw and contributed significantly to the coup plot’s failure.