2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt

2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
Pivox · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Title	2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt
Date	15–16 July 2016
Place	Ankara, Istanbul, Turkey
Result	Coup attempt suppressed; state of emergency declared
Casualties	See below

2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt

On 15 July 2016 a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces attempted a coup d'état against the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The attempt involved coordinated actions in Ankara, Istanbul and other provinces and prompted rapid responses from institutions including the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, the Court of Cassation and municipal authorities such as the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. International actors including the NATO council, the European Union, the United States Department of State and the United Nations monitored the crisis closely.

Background

In the years before July 2016 tensions grew between the government of AKP leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and elements linked to the cleric Fethullah Gülen, who had been residing in Pennsylvania after falling out with the AKP amid disputes over the Ergenekon trials, the MİT controversies and policy battles over the Kurdish–Turkish conflict. The rift followed earlier episodes involving the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the 2013 corruption investigations, the role of the Turkish judiciary, and the reconfiguration of the Turkish military after the 2007 Turkish constitutional referendum and 2010 Turkish constitutional referendum. Observers referenced historical precedents such as the 1960 Turkish coup d'état, the 1971 Turkish coup d'état, the 1980 Turkish coup d'état and the 1997 Turkish military memorandum in analyses by institutions like the International Crisis Group, Human Rights Watch, and academic centers at Harvard University, Cambridge University, and London School of Economics.

The coup attempt (15 July 2016)

The coup plotters seized aircraft from bases such as Akıncı Air Base and deployed F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, AH-1 Cobra, and UH-1 Iroquois helicopters, while tanks including M60 Patton variants moved into central locations in Ankara and Taksim Square in Istanbul. Soldiers blocked bridges like the Bosporus Bridge and disrupted air traffic at Atatürk Airport and Sabiha Gökçen International Airport; snipers and armoured units engaged in firefights near landmarks including the Turkish General Staff headquarters and the Turkish Parliament. Media centers such as the TRT headquarters were used to broadcast statements purportedly from coup leaders claiming control and invoking historical instruments like the National Security Council. The insurgents sought to justify the move by accusing the administration of corruption and of undermining secular foundations of the Republic of Turkey; senior figures such as Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar became focal points in the confrontation.

Government and civilian response

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan addressed citizens via the social media platform FaceTime and through broadcasts on networks such as CNNTürk and NTV, urging people to take to the streets and defend democratic institutions; crowds confronted armoured vehicles near the Bosporus Bridge and outside the Grand National Assembly of Turkey where MPs and ministers took shelter. The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and elements loyal to the military command engaged to isolate the plotters; police units and gendarmerie forces secured airports and key installations. International partners including NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, and US Secretary of State John Kerry issued statements supporting the elected leadership and condemning the use of force.

Casualties, damage and immediate aftermath

Violence resulted in the deaths of military personnel, police officers, and civilians, and left many wounded; major hospitals such as Gülhane Military Medical Academy and Şişli Etfal Hospital treated victims. The attempted takeover damaged public infrastructure at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, airports, and bridges, while media facilities including studios of TRT experienced seizures. Independent organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Committee of the Red Cross documented civilian casualties and disruptions to emergency services. Security operations led to the capture of personnel at bases like Akıncı Air Base and detentions at sites including Kısıklı and military barracks in Ankara Province.

Arrests, purges and state of emergency

Following the attempt the government declared a state of emergency and initiated mass arrests and administrative actions targeting members of the Turkish Armed Forces, the Judiciary of Turkey, the police, academia and civil service. Authorities blamed the movement associated with Fethullah Gülen and the Gülen Movement, leading to dismissals from institutions such as Istanbul University, the Ministry of Education (Turkey), and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (Turkey). Large-scale prosecutions in courts including the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court and military tribunals charged suspects with crimes under codes like the Turkish Penal Code and anti-terror legislation. The European Court of Human Rights and reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch later scrutinised detention conditions and procedural safeguards.

Domestic and international reactions

Domestic political parties including the Republican People's Party (CHP), the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) issued varied statements balancing condemnation of the coup attempt with criticism of subsequent emergency measures; unions such as the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey and media organisations like Doğan Media Group and Sabah were affected by the aftermath. International governments including United States, Russia, China, Germany, France, and institutions like the European Union and NATO expressed concern, with diplomatic repercussions affecting relations with bodies such as the Council of Europe and bilateral ties between Turkey and the United States. NGOs and think tanks including the Brookings Institution, Chatham House, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace analyzed implications for regional security, the Syrian Civil War, and negotiations over European Union enlargement and NATO cooperation.

Legal proceedings and long-term impact

Prosecutions produced high-profile trials of military officers, civilians, and alleged members of the Gülen Movement, with verdicts carrying long prison sentences and, in some cases, death penalty debates that revived attention to the capital punishment issue. The Turkish judicial system underwent structural changes including reforms affecting the Constitutional Court (Turkey), the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK), and the role of the President of Turkey in judicial appointments. The episode accelerated political consolidation by the AKP and influenced constitutional processes such as the 2017 Turkish constitutional referendum, affected Turkey's relations with European Court of Human Rights procedures, and altered trajectories in security cooperation with NATO allies, human rights monitoring by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and academic freedom at institutions like Boğaziçi University and Ankara University.

Category:2016 in Turkey Category:Coups d'état in Turkey