10 years on from Turkiye’s failed coup attempt on Erdogan

Ten years ago, Turkey came within minutes of a military takeover. July 15th 2016 is remembered in Turkey as the night an attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish state was thwarted. It was a night of crazy scenes in the streets and skies of both Ankara and Istanbul. A faction of the Turkish military rushed to plot to seize power whilst Erdogan was at a hotel in the resort town of Marmaris. Soldiers began seizing bridges, airports and military positions across the country. Around midnight, coup plotters seized the public broadcaster TRT and declared martial law. President Erdogan had to address the nation via FaceTime call on CNN Turk. He urged people to gather in the streets to not allow illegitimate forces to usurp power. Mosques then echoed the call from their minarets for people to resist. Thousands came out to confront tanks and block soldiers. In many cases, civilians were shot at and parliament was bombed. In total, 253 people were killed during the attempted takeover. By dawn, police and military units loyal to the government had regained control. The Turkish government blamed the coup attempt on followers of a US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, accusing his movement of infiltrating the military, judiciary and state institutions over decades. What followed became one of the largest political purges in modern Turkish history. More than 100,000 public sector employees, including judges, teachers, police officers and academics were dismissed or suspended over alleged links to Gulen's movement. Tens of thousands were arrested while hundreds of media outlets, charities and businesses were shut down. Supporters of President Erdogan say the crackdown dismantled a network that had infiltrated deep into the Turkish state. Critics however argue it went far beyond those responsible for the attempted coup and was used to suppress political opposition. Perhaps the biggest change came a year later when Turkey voted to replace its parliamentary system with a powerful executive presidency. The office of the Prime Minister was abolished and more power was consolidated in the hands of the President. Ten years on from that pivotal night, some critics feel the failed coup was used as an opportunity to restrict democratic freedoms. But Erdogan supporters say that night was a victory for democracy which ushered in an era of greater political stability. One thing is undeniable though, the military hasn't attempted to overthrow the government since.