News & Comment
The Purpose of the "Second Coup" Allegations

News:

Chief of Staff General Hulusi Akar spoke in the parliament's opening reception. Akar replied to a question asked to him about the probability of a second coup attempt, "We always take such things seriously but I personally do not believe there will be. I do not see a potential for a second coup attempt". (Source: internethaber)

Comment:

Vice-President of the Nation Party and retired Colonel Hasan Atilla Uğur, brought up a couple of allegations in a television program he attended; "That FETÖ could attempt a second coup, that England will invade Turkey, that England is paying the loans of the tribes in the South-East (of Turkey)". Afterwards Media close to the government published these allegations through their newspaper headlines.

Even though a long time has passed since the statement in question, people are still talking about it. The tribes have come together, have refuted the allegations and said that they were going to denunciate. Lastly Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım stated on the allegations, "If they come, they will see (what we are capable of)" and the Chief of Staff Hulusi Akar said, "do not believe there will be...I do not see a potential".

After the coup attempt half of the Generals serving in the Turkish Armed Forces, hundreds of Colonels and thousands officers have been arrested. But not even three months has passed since the coup and there are allegations of a second coup.

Actually the first person who brought up this allegation two days after the coup attempt was Robert Fisk, a journalist working for the English The Independent Newspaper in the Middle-East. Robert Fisk said just because the coup was unsuccessful, it does not mean that the army is loyal to Erdoğan, and by saying, "Be ready for another coup next month or in this year" he made an allegation of a new coup.

After the coup attempt, approximately three months later, it was clear that the nationalists tried to instigate panic among the people with allegations of "a second coup". The person that made the statement in question Vice-President of the Nation Party (the former Labour Party) Hasan Atilla Uğur, does not present any concrete data in his statement. He just tries to be a fear monger with a "second coup" in an atmosphere of panic and with it tries to gain some results with the government.

He tried to make people forget that the real coup attempters were "secular-Kemalists" by using FETÖ as a scapegoat and tries to establish the impression that in order to fight against FETÖ, nationalists are necessary.

While in the end the "second coup" hullabaloo gave the government; "We can prevent the coup", "The co-operation between the nationalists and the government should continue after the coup" messages, it gave the public: fear, panic and a propaganda conveying "You need us" message.

The government continues to exploit the Muslim population who got on the streets with Adhans and Salaahs, who shielded them with their bodies against bullets. It would not be wrong to say that the government returned to the year 2007. A lot of secularism and democracy statements; foreign policy change with the Jewish entity, Russia and other countries in the region. AKP returned to its Factory Settings. How else can nationalists; frequent appearance on Mainstream media, their effect so strong that they can change public opinion and media close to the government's support to them, be explained?

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir
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