Turkey's 2016 coup attempt: A gift from God for Erdoğan?

Ten years have passed since the failed coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, and many aspects of the event remain shrouded in mystery. However, evidence suggests that President Erdoğan was aware of the conspiracy in advance and strategically utilized it for his own purposes.

One of the few individuals to admit any guilt was retired brigadier general Gökhan Şahin Sönmezateş. In a Turkish court, he stated, "I am a coup plotter." He further clarified, "I participated in the coup; but I am not a Gülenist. Imams cannot be my commanders. I would spit in their faces." This statement directly challenged the official account that the night's events were exclusively orchestrated by followers of the religious movement led by the late imam Fethullah Gülen.

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I am a coup plotter.

Sönmezateş, a high-ranking officer known for his Kemalist beliefs and loyalty to Atatürk's legacy, revealed that an "inner core" of officers had planned a limited, "police-like" raid. Their objective was to apprehend President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who was at his summer palace in Marmaris at the time, along with a few other officials. This operation was intended to occur without the deployment of tanks on the streets or the intimidation of cities with blocked bridges and F-16 fighter jets, a stark contrast to the chaos that unfolded that night.

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I participated in the coup; but I am not a Gülenist. Imams cannot be my commanders. I would spit in their faces.