Paphos People

From the BBC

"Both of the main bridges in the Turkish city of Istanbul have been closed by security forces, reports say.
Traffic has been stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges, but no reasons have been given.
There are also reports of military aircraft flying over the capital Ankara, with gunshots heard.
It is unclear if the events are related and there has been no official information so far on the deployments."

Also says on Twitter that Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have been blocked and there are unconfirmed reports that the Turkish President has said that there is a military coup underway.

Have a good weekend!

Latest from BBC

"Turkey's PM has denounced an "illegal action" by a military "group", with bridges closed in Istanbul and aircraft flying low over the capital, Ankara.
Binali Yildirim said the military action was not authorised but it was not a coup. He said that the government remained in charge.
Traffic has been stopped from crossing both the Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges in Istanbul.
There are also reports of gunshots in the capital Ankara."

State TV now shut down!

A bit closer to home than some other recent unfortunate events!

Erdogan is a g#%t and would be welcome to be gone but this has the potential to cause quite some trouble both local and regionally I am afraid.

A.

Update - Reuters: #Turkey's military says in a statement that the military has taken over

Wow, don't like the sound of this lot!

Military have announced on TV that they have taken over.

Airports are closed, which presumably means no flights into, or out of, TRNC.

Sphincter muscles across Cyprus in particular and Europe in general unite!!

And Merkel wants to let this 'stable' country into the EU???

With the general widespread unrest in Turkey its not totally unexpected, it will be another change in the regime (temp or permanent) which will in time level itself out.

Across the EU and world in general there is similar unhappiness and disharmony by the populations and armed forces, the only difference is that the Turkish forces have had the bawls to do something about it.

Leaders in ALL countries should take note.

For Cyprus it will make no real difference apart from a delay in any cross border solution.

The new regime once in place irrespective of who wins will see the need for international trade and commerce.

Also I have a feeling that nations other than Turkey may have been involved in the encouraging of the military to bring forth a coup.

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Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

As I understand from news reports, Erdogan is still in power. This appears to be an attempted uprising from within parts of the military.

One thing's for sure, tourist bookings to Turkey will sink even lower than they are already.

Agree a Cyprus resolution will be the last thing on Erdogan's mind right now.

Have been in touch with one of my online contacts who claims to have an insight into what is happening in Turkey.

5 hours ago, he gave me a rundown of what he thought was happening, and I told him it was time to put his tinfoil hat back on in case the CIA were controlling his mind via satellite.

So far, every one of his predictions has happened, including Erdogan keeping his religious brownshirts on the street after the coup was effectively over, then moving to re-introduce the death penalty.

I understand Erdogan has just demanded the extradition of Gulen, which was next on his list.

Think I might bring "time for a quick snifter" a little forward, work on my apology, and watch drunkenly as a previous secular Turkey descends slowly into another theocratic middle-eastern cess-pit

That whirring noise you can hear is Ataturk, spinning in his grave

No doubt there will be managed show trials, and all those involved in the Coup will be sentenced to death for treason.
Geoff.

Also the last thing we want if Turkey itself is so much in turmoil. If the military were to take control, just think what they might start to think of - a bit like Argentina!

And apparently, already calling to bring the death penalty back..... somehow, I think their association with the EU is likely to slip a long way back!

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Busy exploring England's green & pleasant lands since May 2016 after 12yrs in Cyprus.
There appears to be a misapprehension I run a photography business... it's my passion as a hobby.
I sell and buy postage stamps!

As I understand it, the Turkish military are split into two camps. One is pro government and the other is the instigator of the coup. The issue for Cyprus is on which side the 30,000+ troops in the north are. The answer to this could give some clue on the future for the reunification talks.

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein

The only impact for Cyprus is the completely ineffectual talks on the future of the ROC and the Occupied areas will be put on hold..again...because Turkey is obviously in a complete mess and as Pete G correctly surmises is the next "Middle Eastern" country to deteriorate into chaos....the "President of the TRNC" will no doubt be pooping himself because actually they want little to do with the "Homeland"....and recent events will confirm what a cosy little existence they have....And the EU actually want this mess integrated into their "Master Plan" for a stable and secure future.....pass the Gin please.......

And he's just sacked 2,700 judges, 'in league' with the plotters. The purge begins. It's almost as if he had a list ready for the occasion.

So that's the military and the judiciary, education and the media next maybe?

He does appear to be remarkably prepared, wouldn't you say?

And here's me thinking that Theresa May had the monopoly on preparedness

They should have phoned the Greeks and asked for advice on a coup

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Dave
Moira And Dave

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”

Only 15,000 now left in North Cyprus - they have been quietly pulling them out for the last 8 months or so to help deal with all the probs on the Mainland ("IS", Kurds, etc).
This is one reason why yesterday it was announced there would be no more military parades
in the TRNC.
Geoff.

"That whirring noise you can hear is Ataturk, spinning in his grave"

Spot on, this is exactly what a friend and I were saying at lunchtime.

Turkey will become another Islamic state....Religion will become integrated into the workings of Government and Islamic fundilisim will take another step further towards the west....The up side, absolutely no way will Turkey ever become an EU member....indeed I would not be surprised to see its days in NATO numbered.....now that will cause issues here....

"..........Turkey will become another Islamic state......"

Hang on, weren't Erdogan and/or his brothers supplying arms to Isis in Syria not long ago?? Could be wrong, but it was summat like that, will check Google.

Yep, knew I'd seen it, it was actually oil not arms.

http://www.mintpressnews.com/211624-2/211624/

No Jaqs, I remember that incident well. It was the other way round: Erdogan (or his son) were accused of importing oil from ISIS, an accusation that was disputed/rebutted.

You're right Lloyd, either way underhand bar stewards and not to be trusted. But will anyone in Turkey dare to mention it. Think not.

Hell and handcart come to mind.

Yes ....'disputed' after seeing the aerial views of oil tanker lorries streaming over the border !

So far over 6000 people have been arrested over the failed coup
Are the Turkish government going execute them all for treason?

Of course not, they will all go to Uk for asylum.

_________________
Straight talking, no Gimmicks.

Live your dreams.

..

Now almost 8000 policemen have been suspended as well as over 2000 judges and 4000 armed forces arrested...

Why did these 8000 policemen not join the soldiers in the coup then?

Erm appears to look like a cleansing going on

Frightening and unsettling times in Turkey right now

And so it goes on, thousand of teachers now gone as well as university heads. What the heck is going on, surely all of these thousands of people couldn't have been involved in the coup?

And if not, is the alternative even credible??

From BBC news

15,200 education staff suspended

1500 deans told to resign

And 21,000 liscences of teachers who work in private schools revoked

It is all we are being told to do with Gullen who is in the states and he has said that he has had nothing to do with things

Beginning to look like a cleanse and purge
Frightening times in Turkey

As all now looking very OTT from reading the news reports in

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36838347

Turkey’s navy is still unable to account for 14 ships, while two helicopters with 25 special forces troops are also missing since an unsuccessful coup plot against the government. However, Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus has denied any naval vessels are unaccounted for.

With suspicions growing that the commanders of the vessels could have been behind a coup plot against the Turkish government and are now seeking asylum at Greek ports.

https://www.rt.com/news/352046-navy-shi ... ng-turkey/

Another Pol Pot!

Mainland Turks will not be able to travel on their ID cards to the north until a further notice is announced, according to an announcement in the Turkish Official Gazette.

The announcement also said that all leave for Turkish civil servants has been cancelled and they are not permitted to leave the country; civilians have been told to travel with their passports and ensure they get ‘clear criminal record certificates’ from the police before they travel.

http://in-cyprus.com/turks-unable-to-travel-freely/

45,000 people now either arrested, sacked or suspended from their jobs

Only a few days into his new role as Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson tweeted that he had spoken to his foreign counterpart to assure him of the UK’s support for Erdogan – who, his government says, is in a secure undisclosed location.

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First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you...then you win.

In the news clip that I have just seen with Boris he said quite clearly that he and other Foreign Ministers with regards to Turkey following the failed Coup, that they the FM,s where looking for restraint and moderation from all sides in Turkey

I am sure that the world is watching what is happening in Turkey with concern including our own FM

Turkish Cypriot media reports claim that Turkey will be sending a delegation to the north of the island to begin looking into possible co-conspirators in the recent attempted coup which was eventually quashed by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

According to sources, Turkish Chief of the General Staff is Hulusi Akar has given the order for a special task force to be send to the north to begin an investigation into the military command on the island for any possible involvement in the coup.

During the coup in Turkey, Akar was held at gunpoint and ordered by his private secretary to sign a coup declaration, as all force commanders were taken hostage by their secretaries, aides and guards on the night of the coup attempt, sources have claimed.

He reportedly refused and was later rescued.

Meanwhile, a number of books and computer hard disks, believed to be about Turkish cleric Fetullah Gulen, have been seized by Turkish Cypriot police after somebody had attempted to burn them at a rubbish dump.

Police in the north were dispatched to the area Galateia (Mehmetcik) where they managed to collect around a hundred books, USBs and some hard disks reportedly about Cleric.

Meanwhile, two former heads of the civil defence organisation in the north are said to be among those arrested in Turkey in the ongoing purge ordered by Erdogan following last recent attempted coup.

Firat Alakus and Fatih Yarimbas were arrested in Ankara on Tuesday as Turkish authorities cast their nets wider.

Seventy-five-year-old Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania but has a network of supporters within Turkey, has condemned the abortive coup and denied any role in it.

A former ally-turned critic of Erdogan, he suggested the president staged it as an excuse for a crackdown after a steady accumulation of control during 14 years in power.

On Tuesday, authorities shut down media outlets deemed to be supportive of the cleric and said 15,000 people had been suspended from the education ministry along with 100 intelligence officials.

A further 492 people were removed from duty at the Religious Affairs Directorate, 257 at the prime minister’s office and 300 at the energy ministry.


http://in-cyprus.com/police-confiscate- ... len-items/

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First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they fight you...then you win.

Last Saturday when Erdogan returned to Istanbul's Atturturk airport from holiday in Marmaris,
the airport was under the control of the coup.
They allowed his Presidential jet to land, with their tank's guns pointed at his plane.
If the coup was genuine why didn't they just finish him off?
Why did he risk it (landing) when he knew they were in total control of the airport?
As Lyn suggests there is probably more to it all than is currently obvious.
With regard to North Cyprus, Turkish mainlanders have been prohibited from travelling to there
using their Turkish ID card, they must have a Turkish Passport.
Erdogan has also switched off electric power to the USA airbase in Turkey (so it is running
on generators).
Geoff.

Geoff
It gets stranger by the minute
If it was an internal Coup
Then why switch off the USA airbases power?

And yes you are right, why land your plane in a coup held airport for it not to be shot down or you to be captured

Latest news.....All academics have temporarily been stopped from traveling abroad
Too many now being captured and involved from the intellect quarters of the work force
A small coup has turned into something very big
We wait with bated breath
Without sounding sensationalist, Wars can and are made of stuff like this

Not Sensationalist at all MM, I think that there is a very real chance of a civil war breaking out in Turkey, the Secular Western looking Population and the Islamic eastern looking population...Erdogan has yet to turn his attention to Ataturk, whose memory is still revered throughout Turkish society.....that I believe would be a step to far....I have no doubt st this coup was staged I order for Erdogan to strengthen his position further, he has used it to remove many of the last vestiges of Turkish Secular Society.

Any coup worth it's salt involves the head of state being removed (or even better, killed) as something that is done early as possible. This coup seem to have been a badly planned and executed afair at best. The Turkish President's plane was locked onto by coupist fighters, but they didn't fire. He landed in a coupist held area, but they didn't seize him. He is now arresting or removing great swathes of society, clearly including people who would have had no significant involvement in the coup.

My analysis is that he planned this coup in order to "cleanse" Turkey of those he sees as undesirable. I recall Chairman Mao doing something similar in "the great leap forward".

I think EU membership is clearly off the cards. Whether NATO membership continues is no longer a given either.

Nevertheless, he seems to have the support of the majority of Turkish people and, therefore, seems secure. What this means for the Cyprus unification talks is not yet clear.

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Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. - Albert Einstein

I've worked out what it was that started it all....

The sales of Turkish flags were down, probably due to the current economic climate:

http://www.ecoiko.eu/patriotic-upsurge- ... iled-coup/

_________________
Busy exploring England's green & pleasant lands since May 2016 after 12yrs in Cyprus.
There appears to be a misapprehension I run a photography business... it's my passion as a hobby.
I sell and buy postage stamps!

Sadly, particularly for Turkey itself, I think you may be right JK.
Dangerous times.

And after some arrests being made in the north too - I'm inclined to agree with you both. It's really not looking good at all, that's if we can believe some of those reports coming out of the Russian Times and Sputnik News. Not relying too heavily on those articles, but something, somewhere is afoot...

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Busy exploring England's green & pleasant lands since May 2016 after 12yrs in Cyprus.
There appears to be a misapprehension I run a photography business... it's my passion as a hobby.
I sell and buy postage stamps!

This was not a coup...this was a cleansing

And in modern day times, how truly undemocratic and horrendous

My question is...why is the rest of the world and NATO not stepping in to stop what is happening?

Don,t please tell me Assad!!!!

They all must know what even us joe blogs know...that all is now not right

State of Emergency imposed for 3 months....Terrible times ahead I think.