Military Coup in Turkey

I've just created the same thread. This might be a good thing.

You couldn't get a clearer sign than this of how far away Turkey is from joining the EU. Scary stuff though.

Can't believe this crazy world . Don't know what else to say .

There's a comment below the article on Al Jazeera about the coup, saying Erdogan is in the air and has been refused asylum in Germany. Can't see that being true?

There will be many tourists who are due to fly home tomorrow and are now in real fear about whether they will be able to get to the airport and leave. Others are due to fly out tomorrow to begin holidays.

Just last week I booked (and paid for) a holiday in Turkey for the first time, choosing Turkey especially to help their economy and in spite of the warnings. Our booking is for September, so we have time to see how events will unfold.

My heart sank when I saw this news. My son has just booked a last minute holiday - he's taking his 10 year old son to Turkey on Monday for a week . Admittedly a long way from Istanbul or Ankara - he's going somewhere in the Dalaman area - but even so!

Apparently the whole country is under martial law and a curfew. Erdogan was refused permission to land at Istanbul. Boris has told Brits to watch the FCO website for information.

Lots of British people live in Turkey, including a friend of mine. Hope she is OK.

I don't think it will be a bad thing if Erdogan is gone and I hope nowhere in Europe will give him sanctuary. He was trying to take Turkey back to the dark ages.

I hope Boris didn't think he'd been given an easy job. he's really going to have to knuckle down now. This sounds as though it's serious. Let's hope he's up to it, however it turns out.

The coup was carried out by Hizmet, opponents of Erdogan. It is led by an Islamic scholar and preacher Fethullah Gülen, but Hizmet is not thought of as a radical Islamic organisation. For several years it has been accused of trying to overthrow the Turkish government.

It is all over, Erdogan is back in control, according to local news (Cyprus) what that actually means is any ones guess, I guess a painful time for those involved and those who instigated the coup. The airport should reopen this morning, but there may be a curfew and other unspecified restrictions for some time.

Whether it's over or not, I'm greatly relieved this morning to know that my son will not be going after all - £1300 out of pocket unless the FCO direct Britons not to go there, but what's that against his and his son's lives?

Indinana, I quite agree with your sentiment, the actual coup may (and I use that word with reservations) be over but I still would not suggest it is the place to go for the foreseeable future. There are going to be repercussions which will effect the country for quite a while I feel. I wonder what Boris, our new FO Minister, will say about the situation?????

I hope that our new Foreign Secretary will say anyone going to Turkey should cancel their holiday - DD, SiL and GS are due to go late August. They booked it last year, following their last holiday there. I see, though, that Queezyjet are still flying tourists out there.

Our new Foreign Secretary is, of course, part Turkish. A grandfather or great grandfather. He (Boris) featured in an episode of 'Who do you think you are'

He is also part Russian, from a great-grandfather I understand. (Hence his middle name of Boris)

I suppose it depends whereabouts in Turkey people are going for their holidays.
It is a huge country.
I saw on FB that my friend is fine where she is and I hope it remains safe there.

So?

(that was to M0nica)

I think we are hoping that he has hidden depths and empathy!

He has a very good team of civil servants around him, so they'll just get on with it while they lock him in a cupboard with a bottle of lemonade and a straw and a copy of the Boys Own Book of Diplomacy! Seriously, I am another who thinks we all underestimate Bozza. Somewhere under all that untidy thatch, he has a good mind. Pity he doesn't have sensible mouth to go with it.

Absolutely agree Greyduster

I'm not surprised by the coup. Erdogan is de-secularising the country unfortunately.

It seems that a huge number of people have been arrested. That must be causing logistical difficulties.

I thought that too thatbags unless 'confined to barracks' has been implemented