The Sydney Morning Herald has asked "Why did it take so long?" for the military -- in this case a portion of it -- to attempt to ouster the "Putin-esque" President Erdogan from power. Turkey differs from most other countries with histories of civil uprisings in that its military coups have tended to back democratic elections, whereas coups in other countries tend to see autocrats replace democracies. The Inquisitr has previously reported on the replacement of democratically elected Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff by Michel Temer in a process described as a "coup" and a "farce."
While President Barack Obama has urged Turkish citizens to respect the "democratically-elected Government of Turkey," as previously reported by The Inquisitr, Cenk Uygur with The Young Turks has voiced the opinion that the official U.S. stance toward the outcome may be slightly different.
"If I had to guess, I would say we are on the side of the coup."
"If Erdogan regains power," Cenk Uygur stated. "He will be an immovable object. He will pass every draconian law."
President Erdogan, while secular, is a described as right wing and a fundamentalist. In the period following a failed coup, Uygur sees his supporters gaining a tighter grip on power and restrictions to personal liberties in Turkey increasing.
"The one thing that really stood out to me," Ana Kasparian with The Young Turks said, "the first thing Erdogan... [did] was ask his supporters to go out into the streets. He has been been so horrific toward journalists and protesters."
"He normally hates protesters in the streets. Now, he's begging for protesters in the streets."
The situation may be one where U.S. leaders, given Erdogan's seemingly increasingly dictatorial tendencies, prefer a new government formed by Gulen supporters; yet, remains one where they must be content with whichever outcome prevails.
Current reports indicate at least 265 people dead and 1,440 wounded in Turkey. Over 2,800 coup participants are reported to have been taken into custody by police, as reported by New York Times.
[Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images]
