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

Fethullah Gulen and his Ideals

Fethullah Gulen is an authoritative mainstream Turkish Muslim scholar, thinker, author, poet, opinion leader and educational activist who supports interfaith and intercultural dialogue, science, democracy and spirituality and opposes violence and turning religion into a political ideology. Fethullah Gülen promotes cooperation of civilizations toward a peaceful world, as opposed to a clash: “Be so tolerant […]

Police raid house of 96-year-old philanthropist in İzmir

Police raided the house of 96-year-old Mustafa Şık, a prominent philanthropist, in İzmir on Friday as part of a government-initiated “witch hunt” operation targeting the faith-based Gülen movement.

An American’s journey into a Hizmet school in Turkey

One thing I haven’t mentioned is the fact that the school engages with the families of all its students, and that fact was evident in the way the students engaged with their teachers and each other. I have never seen a bunch of adolescent girls with such nice manners, warm self-confidence and eagerness to learn and succeed.

Erdoğan steps up hateful speech against Gülen

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stepped up his attacks on Monday against members of a leading civil society group who are critical of his divisive discourse and discriminatory policies, calling the group modern “Lawrences of Arabia.”

Pro-gov’t daily repeats Bharara controlled by Gülen movement, calls him ‘stupid’

One of the staunchly pro-government newspapers in Turkey, the Star, daily has repeated earlier claims about a US attorney, saying that he is controlled by the faith-based Gülen movement and “stupid.”

TUSKON to sue dailies over disputed land reports

Leading Turkish business group, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) said on Thursday it will soon file lawsuits against certain government dailies which published allegations of irregularities regarding disputed land in İstanbul.

Latest News

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

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Letter campaign launched for Turkey’s imprisoned women, mothers

Zaman University in Cambodia: a candle in the darkness

Turkish school threatens students who refuse to write poems on coup attempt

Woman gave birth while in detention, handcuffed to bed by police

Pro-gov’t columnist: Turkish state must assassinate Fethullah Gülen

Carter Center gives certificate of appreciation to Kimse Yok Mu

Human Rights Watch: Emergency Decrees Facilitate Torture in Turkey

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News