Erdogan Blames Gulenist Network, Calls on Public to Fight in Public Squares

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a brief statement via CNN Turk calling on the country's people to fight back against what he called a Gulenist network effort to undermine the country's democracy. In the statement, Erdogan urged citizens to wage conflict and take to the streets in protest.

Turkey remains in a state of martial law under the total control of a self-appointed military government that refers to themselves as a "Peace Council" that purportedly will serve as an interim government to reinstall democratic practices and the rule of law in the Middle East country.

Despite losing control of the government, Erdogan remained defiant declaring that those responsible for the attack would face a heavy price and that the coup would be stopped in a "short time."

"It is know that there was a coup attempt," said Erdogan. "I'm waiting for all of our people on the streets and squares. Together we will give an adequate response. It is know that this attempted coup was led by the "Parallel Structure." The instigators of the coup will suffer severe punishment and will pay dearly for it." 

"Parallel Structure" is a reference to followers of Fethullah Gulen, also known as Gulenists, a US-based Muslim cleric who has repeatedly been accused of attempting to foment an uprising against the Turkish government. 

The Turkish President faced mockery for giving the report to Western media via Skype or FaceTime with analysts saying it was a final sign that Erdogan had once and for all lost control.

​Erdogan also made appeals via Twitter to the Turkish people to stop the coup saying that "The survival of our democracy and national unity rely on seizing back the public squares and airports."

The Turkish people appear to be heeding the call of the country's president taking to the streets to demand that the military return to their barracks and end their attempt to take control of the government. Rumors that the military's chief of staff had been killed remain unconfirmed.

​State run media outlet TRT World has also started to turn against the coup plotters with staff taking to Twitter under #failedcoup decrying the effort to oust the government, blaming it on Gulenist sympathizers, and quoting media outlets that say the coup plotters are not in full control of the government.

​​The government appears to have turned the tide against the coup plotters following Erdogan's plea for the people to take to the streets using a very low technology resources — an SMS text message. A variety of messages have reportedly gone out to people all across Turkey calling for them to take to the streets as effectively cannon fodder against the coup or to resist the coup attempt through action in the streets.

"In the face of the coup attempt, we call on you to stand with the legitimate government! We call on all citizens to stand against this treacherous act against the citizens of our country," said one SMS message below.

​Once the gem of the region and a bastion of both human rights and democracy, the country's posture towards dissent has changed in recent years under Erdogan who recently pushed a constitutional amendment providing authority to imprison opposition lawmakers under an expanded definition of terrorism. The government has also repeatedly cracked down against journalists throughout the country by stripping credentials, ousting reporters, and in some instances imprisoning those they viewed as a threat. 

MORE TO COME.