Turkish-Armenian intellectual says failed coup staged to purge Gülen followers


Date posted: September 6, 2017

Turkish-Armenian linguist and writer Sevan Nişanyan, who escaped from a prison in İzmir in July, shared his take on a failed coup in Turkey last year, saying it was staged in order to cleanse the Turkish military of followers of US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who is accused by the government of being the mastermind of the coup attempt.

In a message from his Facebook account on Monday, Nişanyan said he would like to share his analysis of the failed coup.

“1- There was a big plan against F[ethullah Gülen group] in the military. However, there was no proper legal reason for that. It was necessary to create crimes.

“2- It was announced at the Supreme Military Council that there would be a huge purge [of Gülen followers in the military]. Some of the followers of F[ethullah Gülen] got panicked.

“3- It was made to appear that the top military brass was also in favor of a coup.

“4- Some carp [soldiers] just jumped in. Perhaps some of the soldiers, who were already assigned to pretend to be in favor of the coup, encouraged other fish.

“5- A total of a few hundred people took part in this ridiculous comedy. Some of them were naive, some were opportunistic and some were assigned [to pretend to be pro-coup].

“6- Pro-government people poured into the streets after it was understood that this [coup attempt] wouldn’t have any effect [on the government].

“7- And the necessary F operation was staged [against Gülen followers],” he wrote.

Nişanyan also added that the coup attempt might have been planned in detail by groups in the Turkish military in collaboration with the government in early December 2013 or even as early as 2012.

“So, It is still undetermined what share RTE (President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan) and other power groups have in this [coup] plan. It will be understood within five to ten years. But my take is: Erdoğan agreed to take part in planning the coup attempt on condition that nothing would touch him or his family,” he said.

Jailed on nine charges including illegal construction in 2014, Nişanyan escaped from Foça Prison in Turkey’s western province of İzmir on July 14 and said he applied for political asylum in Greece on July 26. The writer was sentenced to a total of 17 years in jail.

Source: Turkish Minute , September 5, 2017


Related News

Turkey coup: Conspiracy theorists claim power grab attempt was faked by Erdogan

Social media users have compared the coup attempt in which more than 160 people are thought to have died to the Reichstag fire – the 1933 arson attack on the German parliament building which Hitler used as an excuse to suspend civil liberties and order mass arrests of his opponents.

Gulen Movement And Transparency

The transparency of the Hizmet or Gülen Movement has long been a theme of various critics – writers, intellectuals and politicians. In the context of Turkey where secularism is deployed as a means to control religion rather than to separate it from politics, it is not hard to understand why this theme has been so popular.

Yes, Love Is a Verb!

Because of his [Fethullah Gulen] influence…at risk children are now being educated in hundreds of countries…The sick are being treated…..and the starving are fed….often at great personal risk..

Gulen movement sympathizers committed to interfaith dialogue, charity and nonviolence

George Mason University professor, Jack Goldstone, shares his view of Fethullah Gulen and Gulen Movement. Goldstone says he is particularly glad that Gulen has such a remarkable influence over his sympathizers who are committed to the promotion of interfaith dialogue, charity and nonviolence. Speaking of Gulen’s anti-violence stance, Goldstone recalls Gulen’s touching statement, as he […]

How does the Hizmet movement fare with democracy?

Ruling elites of this country, unfortunately, have targeted different groups at different times. Thus, religious people, Kurds, Alevis, nationalists (ülkücüs), leftists, non-Muslim minorities and democratic intellectuals have been in the bull’s eye for attacks from these elites. The Hizmet movement has always been a member of this list of plagued groups.

GYV hosts guests from Istanbul’s Armenian Patriarchate at Abraham’s table

Armenian Co-Patriarch Aram Ateshian: “Orthodox Armenian Patriarchate hasn’t been recognized as a legal entity yet.” The gathering’s host, Journalists and Writers Foundation President Mustafa Yesil said, “Peace was established even on the ashes of a war in Europe that left 50 million dead. The 1915 incidents and sorrows shouldn’t hinder the establishment of peace.”

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Michael Flynn, President Trump’s first national security adviser, was paid to investigate Fethullah Gulen during election campaign

Fethullah Gulen’s Message on the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

Jihad Turk on Fethullah Gulen and Hizmet Movement

Parents jailed over Gülen links not allowed see their children for 9 months

Turkish police to plant Gülen’s books in ISIL cells, journalist claims

Couple jailed for watching Fethullah Gülen videos at Internet cafe

Woman, 5-month-old son under custody after visiting husband in prison

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News