German intelligence expert Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, speaking on a discussion program on the German broadcaster ZDF, made striking statements regarding the background of Turkey’s 2016 coup attempt.
Schmidt-Eenboom claimed that Western intelligence assessments did not support Ankara’s official narrative that the movement led by Fethullah Gülen was behind the coup. “He claimed that CIA analyses pointed to a different interpretation of the events, where the so-called coup attempt was initiated by Erdoğan to prevent a real coup. The German intelligence (BND), the CIA, and other Western intelligence services do not see even the slightest evidence that the coup was orchestrated by Gülen,” he stated, though the report did not cite a public CIA document.
When the presenter asked, “So why is Erdoğan making this claim?” Schmidt-Eenboom replied, “Because it is the most convenient way to criminalize and eliminate his opposition.”
He further added, “The CIA and other intelligence agencies have the capability to infiltrate even the most secure communication systems, and according to the information they have gathered, July 15 was a fabricated, so-called coup.”
WATCH THE STATEMENTS HERE:
