Infernal Opera: Turkish Factions Fight for Power
This al-Monitor article by Metin Gurcan raised the hair on my head. [URL in case you can’t link: http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-10-13/power-struggle-erupts-in-turkeys-security-structure]
The revolution eating its young. According to the article, right-wing, secular ultranationalist ideologues with a nasty past (led by Dogu Perincek) are now being supported by Erdogan to purge and take over ‘vacated’ positions of power in state security agencies in order to rid himself not only of suspected Gulenists, but also his own supporters whom he no longer trusts. He trusts Dogu Perincek???? Who will be left standing? The Menzil and Suleymanci religious orders are in the opposing block, trying to position themselves strategically. I see nothing but disaster down this road. Islamist Cool-Aid or the Perincek brew: anti-West, pro-Russia and Eurasianist. President Erdogan, whatever his original plan was, has lost his way in the struggle to remain in power.
This is like some unbelievable farce. Ordinary people will be crushed beneath the giant machinery of this epic battle for power between groups that aren’t even representative of society. President Erdogan stands above it, a conductor flailing his baton at an orchestra pit full of roaring monsters ripping each other to pieces, unworried that they might turn around, grab his leg, and pull him into the pit.
why are you surprised? The first task of power is to preserve itself. By any means necessary. That’s always been the tall man’s game