Army coup Turkey

[Cruiser Elite]

My #1 man and his lovely wife are booked on SQ into IST next week - only transiting but intending on spending 2 days in IST before ret to Oz 3 weeks later - decision to go or not totally up to them.

The flt they are booked on is same one where that engine cooked a few weeks back in SIN - someone sending a message do you think?

 

[dajop]

The flt they are booked on is same one where that engine cooked a few weeks back in SIN - someone sending a message do you think?

Talking about messages like that ..... after two weeks in Europe over the weekend my plans were to fly back to SIN .... via IST, whilst my partner joined his mum and a friend of hers ..... in Nice.

 

[Kaiser]

I heard a reference to the death penalty on the ABC yesterday. Is it correct that they would not be able to join the EU if they did bring it back?

I think any chances of Turkey joining the EU are slim to none. Mr E. has long been pushing to move Turkey away from secularism and towards an Islamist nation - that process has now gained rapid momentum. This was either a very poorly planned and executed desperate coup attempt, or a "Reichstag Fire" scenario fabricated to legitamise the "cleansing" of the judicial, education and public service - not to mention a chance for him to consolidate power of the military. He already had a strong control of the press prior to the "coup" - hence the argument that he was not actually truly democratically elected - as any opposition opinion against him was promptly quashed and dealt with. No more freedom of press. (Not that our press isn't biased either).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire

 

[marki]

I think any chances of Turkey joining the EU are slim to none. Mr E. has long been pushing to move Turkey away from secularism and towards an Islamist nation - that process has now gained rapid momentum. This was either a very poorly planned and executed desperate coup attempt, or a "Reichstag Fire" scenario fabricated to legitamise the "cleansing" of the judicial, education and public service - not to mention a chance for him to consolidate power of the military. He already had a strong control of the press prior to the "coup" - hence the argument that he was not actually truly democratically elected - as any opposition opinion against him was promptly quashed and dealt with. No more freedom of press. (Not that our press isn't biased either).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire

Not that our press isn't biased which is so very true. Kaiser.

Also sometimes looking at Angela Merkl pushing the joining agenda and fronting up big Euro loans to Turkey one can get swayed that the opposite may happen. Sure a jigging some rules around will help.

 

[amaroo]

I think any chances of Turkey joining the EU are slim to none. Mr E. has long been pushing to move Turkey away from secularism and towards an Islamist nation - that process has now gained rapid momentum. This was either a very poorly planned and executed desperate coup attempt, or a "Reichstag Fire" scenario fabricated to legitamise the "cleansing" of the judicial, education and public service - not to mention a chance for him to consolidate power of the military. He already had a strong control of the press prior to the "coup" - hence the argument that he was not actually truly democratically elected - as any opposition opinion against him was promptly quashed and dealt with. No more freedom of press. (Not that our press isn't biased either).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire

Nasty piece of work this Mr E!

He doesn't need to join the EU - the EU need him due to Merkl and her disastrous policies.

He can name the price - EU will pay.

 

[Kaiser]

Doubt it - not for a long time anyway.

https://fullfact.org/europe/turkey-likely-join-eu/

 

[medhead]

I hope no AFFers are stranded in Turkey. Makes my recent decision to avoid travel to Turkey for the foreseeable future because of recent unrest seem wise despite others here saying otherwise

There is an AFFer currently living and studying in turkey. Been interesting to see their facebook updates.

I think any chances of Turkey joining the EU are slim to none. Mr E. has long been pushing to move Turkey away from secularism and towards an Islamist nation - that process has now gained rapid momentum. This was either a very poorly planned and executed desperate coup attempt, or a "Reichstag Fire" scenario fabricated to legitamise the "cleansing" of the judicial, education and public service - not to mention a chance for him to consolidate power of the military. He already had a strong control of the press prior to the "coup" - hence the argument that he was not actually truly democratically elected - as any opposition opinion against him was promptly quashed and dealt with. No more freedom of press. (Not that our press isn't biased either).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire

Indeed, the net results appears to be a move away from secularism to Islamist ideology. Rather ironic that the public were coming out to stop the coup in the name of Ataturk.

 

[amaroo]

Doubt it - not for a long time anyway.

https://fullfact.org/europe/turkey-likely-join-eu/

IMO he doesn't need to join the EU to get the Euros and other benefits ... best of both worlds.

 

[Kaiser]

There is an AFFer currently living and studying in turkey. Been interesting to see their facebook updates.



Indeed, the net results appears to be a move away from secularism to Islamist ideology. Rather ironic that the public were coming out to stop the coup in the name of Ataturk.

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the majority of the the civilians out on the streets in protest were doing so in the name of Erdogan - as he made a statement on media encouraging his supporters to go out onto the street and "fight for democracy". Meanwhile, the armed forces released a media statement at the beginning telling people to stay inside for their own safety. So it stands to reason there may have been an over representation of pro-Erdogan / pro Islamist supports on the street during the supposed coup. Historically, I believe one of the reasons the military was allowed to operate semi-autonomously from the government, was so they had to the power to step in and oust a government that was deemed to be straying too far away from the secularist values on which Ataturk founded the modern nation of Turkey. This is my very basic understanding / interpretation - happy to be proven wrong.

 

[medhead]

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that the majority of the the civilians out on the streets in protest were doing so in the name of Erdogan - as he made a statement on media encouraging his supporters to go out onto the street and "fight for democracy". Meanwhile, the armed forces released a media statement at the beginning telling people to stay inside for their own safety. So it stands to reason there may have been an over representation of pro-Erdogan / pro Islamist supports on the street during the supposed coup. Historically, I believe one of the reasons the military was allowed to operate semi-autonomously from the government, was so they had to the power to step in and oust a government that was deemed to be straying too far away from the secularist values on which Ataturk founded the modern nation of Turkey. This is my very basic understanding / interpretation - happy to be proven wrong.

That is also my understanding. Just saw some of the protested invoking Ataturk as their reason for being on the street in support of Erdogan. I thought it was strange - perhaps I misunderstood their point.

 

[marki]

If things were not settle down in Turkey QF would need to start diverting flights especially when instructions were given to down Helicopters flying around parliament or has it happened already?

 

[dajop]

If things were not settle down in Turkey QF would need to start diverting flights especially when instructions were given to down Helicopters flying around parliament or has it happened already?

Going to make it difficult for many flights from SE Asia & ME to Europe if you cut out Turkey, QF are but a minor player. That would I guess leaves 3 corridors, Georgia->Black Sea->Bulgaria/Romania, southern via Saudia Arabia->Jordan->Israel or Saudi Arabia/Egypt and northern via Russia/Belarus.

 

[marki]

Going to make it difficult for many flights from SE Asia & ME to Europe if you cut out Turkey, QF are but a minor player. That would I guess leaves 3 corridors, Georgia->Black Sea->Bulgaria/Romania, southern via Saudia Arabia->Jordan->Israel or Saudi Arabia/Egypt and northern via Russia/Belarus.

Georgia a real possibility then?

All Turkish academics have been banned from travelling abroad. FYI

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Any AFFers who are now in IST or have been in IST since Coup attempt have any intel to actual state of play in the city now? I have my #1 man and his wife heading that way in a day or so and updates would be appreciated.

 

[medhead]

Any AFFers who are now in IST or have been in IST since Coup attempt have any intel to actual state of play in the city now? I have my #1 man and his wife heading that way in a day or so and updates would be appreciated.

The person i know is down south, and reconsidering their plan to have a month in Istanbul. But happy enough around the Dardanelles at the moment. Not sure if they check here that often.

Then again living somewhere is a bit different to visiting.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

ABC News currently reporting tourism numbers down by >40% this summer in Turkey this summer.

 

[jastel]

My parents are in Greece now starting a tour there in a few days...it is still going as far as I know. It was altered before the coup to drop Ankara.
It seems if you stick to the western bits and only use IST as the airport its OK.

 

[gapmatt]

Hey guys,

New to this forum, but felt the need to share my recent experience on a work trip to IST which was from Melbourne -> IST on July 26- Aug 1st.

Flew via Emirates connecting in DXB - no issues with any delays whatsoever.

The emirates flight from DXB to IST was at most 40% full. There were rows and rows that were empty.
Arrived in IST in the afternoon, a number of police officers with rifles patrolling the airport, nothing out of the ordinary, and took a cab to my hotel which was near the airport. Apart from the crazy cough taxi driver swerving in traffic at high speeds in an old almost run down cab, the drive was smooth. No signs of Tanks or military vehicles around.

Visited Istinye Park Mall (luxury shopping centre), pretty normal, just a security screening at the entrance door which wasn't taken very seriously.

A number of the major tourist attractions such as the mosques, had one patrol vehicle stationed in front, but other than that, if someone didn't know about the military coup, they would not have felt anything out of the ordinary.


Departing IST. Emirates to Dubai, then Qantas from Dubai back to Melbourne
Airport screening outside of airport, Customs, security screening again. Flight departure on time.


I'd say I felt quite safe there.

 

[RooFlyer]

ABC News currently reporting tourism numbers down by >40% this summer in Turkey this summer.

I was there pre-coup and tourist operators was saying numbers were already down 50%.

Hey guys,

New to this forum, but felt the need to share my recent experience on a work trip to IST which was from Melbourne -> IST on July 26- Aug 1st.

Flew via Emirates connecting in DXB - no issues with any delays whatsoever.

The emirates flight from DXB to IST was at most 40% full. There were rows and rows that were empty.
Arrived in IST in the afternoon, a number of police officers with rifles patrolling the airport, nothing out of the ordinary, and took a cab to my hotel which was near the airport. Apart from the crazy cough taxi driver swerving in traffic at high speeds in an old almost run down cab, the drive was smooth. No signs of Tanks or military vehicles around.

Visited Istinye Park Mall (luxury shopping centre), pretty normal, just a security screening at the entrance door which wasn't taken very seriously.

A number of the major tourist attractions such as the mosques, had one patrol vehicle stationed in front, but other than that, if someone didn't know about the military coup, they would not have felt anything out of the ordinary.


Departing IST. Emirates to Dubai, then Qantas from Dubai back to Melbourne
Airport screening outside of airport, Customs, security screening again. Flight departure on time.


I'd say I felt quite safe there.

Welcome to AFF gapmatt . I wasn't worried about the security situation post bombing when I was there, or even immediately post coup, but the President's crack-down and rabble rousing has concerned me. Good to hear about the current situation; a few army vehicles near the tourist attractions won't hurt, at any time.

 

[drron]

As speculation maybe only token extra security because they know there is no extra risk post coup?