The episode of “Ayaküstü” examined why pro-government media in Turkey repeatedly raised the possibility of a coup and whether such rhetoric reflected political strategy, fear or an attempt to shape public opinion.
Korucu and Kenez discussed whether another July 15 was possible, whether groups associated with the Ergenekon trials could stage a coup and whether any future military intervention would target only the Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish acronym AKP, and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
They also addressed Turkey’s older military-political fault lines, including figures associated with the Balyoz, or Sledgehammer, case and the February 28, 1997 military intervention, often described as Turkey’s “postmodern coup.”
Ankara blames the July 15, 2016 coup attempt on the Gülen movement, a transnational civic initiative inspired by Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, and designates the movement as a terrorist organization. The movement denies involvement in the coup or any terrorist activity.
Coup rhetoric in pro-government media
The program description asked why the pro-government media bloc appeared preoccupied with coup scenarios.
The discussion appeared to focus on how repeated warnings of a coup could be used to consolidate political support, discredit opponents or maintain a permanent sense of crisis.
Ergenekon, Balyoz and February 28
The episode also raised the question of whether actors associated with the Ergenekon investigations could attempt a coup.
Ergenekon was the name given to a series of trials involving alleged coup plots and clandestine networks within the state. The Balyoz case involved allegations of a military coup plan dating to the early 2000s.
The program description also asked why figures linked to Balyoz viewed the February 28 intervention as incomplete, suggesting a discussion of Turkey’s unresolved military tutelage debates and the legacy of earlier anti-democratic interventions.
Radicalization and migration
The program also discussed whether mosque communities were becoming more radicalized and moving closer to Salafi thinking.
It also referred to “Erdoğan’s Russian roulette,” indicating a discussion of political risk-taking by the government.
Another topic was what Turkey should do to stop a new wave of migration.
The video below presents Bülent Korucu and Levent Kenez’s discussion on coup rhetoric, Turkey’s military-political fault lines, radicalization concerns and the government’s handling of migration risks.
