Emergency in Istanbul: cleansing of putschists is underway

The Turkish authorities have introduced a state of emergency in Istanbul. They also deployed additional 1800 of police special forces in the city from neighbouring provinces. The officers have taken up positions in critical facilities and were patrolling the city.

Istanbul Police Chief was ordered the shooting down of any helicopters flying overhead without warning, TASS reports with reference to the Anadolu Agency.

One of the military sources confirmed media reports that two military helicopters were detected in Istanbul, saying that the military ‘offered their crews to give up’.   

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered combat aircraft of the country’s Air Force to patrol Turkey’s airspace.

Turkish special forces have launched an operation in the Air Force Academy, located in a suburb of Istanbul.

Istanbul counter-terror units and police arrived at the site,  the academic buildings and dormitories are being searched.

Earlier, Turkish media reported that the Dean of the Istanbul Air force academy Colonel Ahmet Gumus was detained on suspicion of involvement in the coup.

On July 17, armed clashes between the participants of the military coup attempt and the authorities took place near the Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen international airport, as well as at the air base in the city of Konya.

The director of the Institute of Political Studies, Sergey Markov, speaking with a correspondent of Vestnik Kavkaza, pointed out that this coup attempt will radically change Turkey's foreign policy, primarily against the West.

"Although the West officially supported Erdogan's victory, but during the night's most critical hours it has refused to condemn the coup. It is quite obvious that the United States was somehow included in this coup: Fethullah Gülen, which was called the mastermind of the coup by Erdogan and who lives in the United States, hence, his correspondence is monitored by the US special services, the Incirlik base was one of the central points of the coup. It is also important that at the critical moment NBC TV began to spread false information about Erdogan's runaway," the expert outlined his vision of the situation.

"Since the US is the main aggressor against Russia today,  the US-backed coup's defeat is certainly a good thing. We do not know yet whether it will cause a concrete improvement of relations with Russia, but there is a high probability that the failed coup will lead to its strengthening. Moreover, many believe that the fact that Erdogan has suddenly decided to drastically improve relations with Russia was one of the triggers of this coup," Sergey Markov said.

"As for Turkey itself, usually such events lead to the strengthening of existing trends. I think that we will see, firstly, the reduction of Turkey's European hopes, when it may give up the EU membership and will return the death penalty. Secondly, the increase in tensions with the US, thirdly, the concentration of power in Erdogan's hands, fourthly, it will strengthen the role of Islam in the Turkish society and the political system, fifthly, it will reduce the influence of the army, and sixthly, the country's media will be even more controlled by the government," the expert listed.