Coup Attempt in Turkey Took US Intelligence by Surprise

U.S. intelligence analysts have been worried about tensions in Turkey, official says

Brian Bennett

Los Angeles Times

July 15, 2016

Friday’s coup attempt in Turkey took U.S. intelligence officials by surprise, a U.S. official said. But intelligence analysts have been concerned for months about simmering tensions between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish military brass as Erdogan has consolidated and expanded his power, the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal assessments.

The Turkish military sees itself as a protector of moderate and secular institutions in Turkey, the official said, and Erdogan has recently been moving more aggressively to silence dissent inside the country, expand his control of the courts and clamp down on freedom of the press.

In March, the Turkish government raided the Istanbul offices of the largest-circulation opposition newspaper, Zaman. Columnists critical of the government have been fired in response to government pressure, and reporters have been imprisoned on terrorism charges.