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Did Erdogan Stage A Phony Coup So He Could Create An Islamic State In Turkey?

A US-based Turkish cleric accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Ankara government has claimed President Recep Erdogan staged the rebellion himself.

Published

10 years ago

July 16, 2016

Geoffrey Grider

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A US-based Turkish cleric accused of plotting a coup to overthrow the Ankara government has claimed President Recep Erdogan staged the rebellion himself to justify a major clampdown on opposition forces.

Fethullah Gulen, who was a former key ally of Erdogan has been blamed by the politician of using his contacts to develop a ‘parallel structure’ to overthrow the state. Erdogan has called on US President Barack Obama to extradite Gulen, who is based in Pennsylvania.

In response to the attempted rebellion, Turkish authorities have detained 2,745 judges and prosecutors whose loyalty to the regime has been questioned. Also, some 2,839 soldiers – including the head of the Third Army Corps in Istanbul, General Erdal Ozturk – have been arrested.

PM Binali Yildrim described the plot, which claimed the lives of 161 civilians with 1,440 wounded, as a ‘black stain on Turkish democracy’.

Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman unexpectedly sparked controversy in Turkey when on April 25 he declared that Turkey’s new constitution should forgo mention of “secularism” and instead be a “religious constitution” referencing God. His words reignited Turkey’s always tense “secularism debate,” which has been amplified since 2002 when the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power. Kahraman’s remarks led to protests in a number of cities, a call by the main opposition leader for him to resign and allegations by secular pundits that the Speaker had shown the AKP’s “true face,” its “real intentions.” Because Kahraman is a known confidant of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, many also suspected that his statement was part of a scheme being orchestrated by Turkey’s leader.

In the next two days, however, the major figures in the AKP disowned Kahraman’s position on a “religious constitution.” The AKP’s Mustafa Sentop, chairman of parliament’s constitutional commission, said that Kahraman’s view was not a “party stance” and that “secularism is preserved in our constitutional draft.” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu asserted, “In the new constitution that we are preparing, the principle of secularism will be included.” He added that it would be a “liberal interpretation” of secularism, not an “authoritarian” version. In also addressing the controversy, Erdogan not only professed support for secularism, but even offered an inspired defense of the principle.

Defining secularism as the state’s “obligation to stay at an equal distance to different faith groups,” he explained why it is a good idea: “If the faith of all religious groups in this country is guaranteed in the constitution, and the state’s equal distance to all religious groups is a foundation, why do you need to emphasize Islam? If I can live my faith as a Muslim the way I want to, the issue is over. If a Christian can live his/her Christianity, if a Jew can live his/her Jewishness or an atheist can live his/her atheism, the issue is also over for them.”

Will Erdogan’s powerful statement ease the tensions over secularism? Probably not, because many secularists fear that they have not yet seen the AKP’s “true face.”

A common view in opposition circles is that Kahraman’s statement on doing away with secularism and introducing a religious constitution did not reflect his “personal views,” as he claimed, but was in fact part of a plan cooked up by Erdogan. Accordingly, Erdogan wanted to test the waters by having Kahraman float the idea of a religious constitution, but then defended secularism after the reaction it elicited. An “Islamic state,” however, remains Erdogan’s long-term goal in their thinking. Another, more persuasive interpretation of events would be as follows.

Erdogan’s ambitions are more about power than doctrine. For power, he needs to sustain popular support, and for popular support, he needs to use religion, but only to a certain extent. While religious symbolism has broad appeal in Turkey, a Quran-thumping Islamic state does not. Various polls bear this out. The most recent survey of the political inclinations of Turkish society was conducted in 2013 by the Pew Research Center, which found that only 12% of all Turks support “making Sharia the official law in their country.” In contrast, 84% of Pakistanis and 74% of Egyptians supported the idea.

Erdogan likely has the support of this hardcore, Islamist minority of 12%, who probably do expect him to create their utopia. At the same time, he also has the support of a much larger block of “conservative” voters who are religious and like reference to religion, but who still prefer to live under secular law. This is why Erdogan would want to retain secularism in the Turkish constitution, albeit while not shying from venerating religion in the public square or perhaps even in the constitution.

A journalist with access to the AKP recently wrote in an insider report that there is a chance that the new constitution will preserve secularism — “laiklik,” from the French “laïcité” — but the preamble might make reference to “Allah and the religion of Islam,” along with some historical figures such as Rumi and Atatürk — in other words, something for everybody. Another rumor is that the preamble will make reference to “the Creator,” a possible inspiration from the US Declaration of Independence.

The more likely future for Turkey is not a Sharia-imposing Islamic state, but a more conservative state re-designed in the image of the AKP. Keep in mind that the latter-day ideology of the party is not simply “Islamism” after all, but “Erdoganism,” in which Islamism is indeed an important theme, but not the only theme. This would not put Turkey on the path to becoming another Iran or Saudi Arabia, as Turkey’s secularists fear, but it could lead in the direction of another Russia, where a similar ideology, “Putinism,” rules.

As the journalist Fareed Zakaria astutely observed, Putinism consists of five fundamentals: religion, nationalism, social conservatism, state capitalism and government media control. “Returning to the values of religion” — in particular Orthodox Christianity — is a powerful theme in Putin’s agenda, with a global vision of “protecting persecuted Christians all over the world.” Replace “Christian” with “Muslim,” and one has Turkey’s ruling ideology. source

Related Topics:Erdogan Islamic State Turkey

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Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s Iran War Sparks Stunning House Rebuke As Republican Defectors In Congress Expose Deep Cracks In The ‘America First’ Movement

Published

1 day ago

June 4, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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‘America First’ Fractures As House Congressional Republicans Join Democrats To Rebuke Trump Over His Unauthorized Iran War

The House vote to rebuke Trump over the Iran war is not merely a “symbolic” slap on the wrist — it is a warning flare from deep inside his own political camp. When Republican leadership has to argue that Congress exercising its constitutional war powers would “weaken the president’s hand,” what they are really admitting is that Trump’s hand is already weak. A strong president does not need Congress to surrender its authority in order to look strong at the negotiating table. The facade is slipping.

“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” Jeremiah 17:5 (KJB)

The resolution passed 215–208, with four Republicans joining Democrats to demand that Trump seek congressional authorization or withdraw from military action in Iran. That does not mean the entire Republican Party has abandoned him, but it absolutely means the old automatic loyalty is cracking. The vote came after earlier failed attempts, making this one politically significant because enough Republicans finally broke away to put it over the top. What makes this so damaging is the contradiction at the heart of Trump’s political brand. He ran as the man who would end endless wars, drain the swamp, confront the foreign policy establishment, and put America First. Yet here he is, presiding over another Middle East war, with Congress now having to drag the White House back toward the Constitution. That is not strength. That is the very Washington war machine Trump once promised to defeat.

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These GOP defectors are not simply siding with Democrats. They are exposing a fault line inside the MAGA movement itself. Is “America First” a real doctrine, or just campaign-stage decoration that gets tossed aside the moment the drums of war start beating? If Trump can wage war with Iran without clear congressional authorization, then the constitutional conservative argument collapses into personality worship. Republican leaders claim this vote weakens Trump in negotiations with Iran. No — the war weakened him. The rising costs weakened him. The lack of a clean exit weakened him. The failure to secure a durable settlement weakened him. Congress did not create the weakness; Congress exposed it.

The House resolution was opposed by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and most Republicans, who complained that it undermines Trump and his top negotiators when they are trying to secure a nuclear deal with Iran. Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., called Wednesday’s action “just a total BS vote.” source

The House vote is a public rebuke of a president whose own party is beginning to realize that bravado is not strategy, escalation is not victory, and loyalty to Trump is not the same thing as loyalty to the US Constitution. For years, Republicans warned about unchecked executive power — until that power belonged to their man. Now, with American forces entangled in Iran and the War Powers clock already blown past, a few Republicans are finally remembering that Congress, not the president, has the authority to declare war. This is even bigger than a Capitol Hill fight. America is being pulled deeper into the Middle East firestorm while its leaders pretend they are in control. They are not. Iran, Israel, the Gulf, oil prices, military escalation, congressional rebellion — all of it points to a superpower strained, divided, and spiritually blind while the voice of the prophets grows louder by the day.

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“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Free Bible Program

As Operation Africa! Continues To Grow, Prisons All Across America Are Reaching Out With A Desperate Need For King James And RVG Spanish Bibles

Published

2 days ago

June 3, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Operation Africa! ramping up as Bibles Behind Bars reaches a fever pitch as chaplains all across the United States reach out for Bibles and books

Operation Africa! is off to a wonderful start, with hundreds of Bibles already delieverd and hundreds more going out this week. We are preparing to plant two churches, one in Uganda and one in Kenya, exciting stuff! But in the midst of all that, a flurry of Jails and Prisons have also reached out, looking for Bibles in King James English and in RVG Spanish.

“Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.” Hebrews 13:3 (KJB)

Here are just a few of the places we are sending Bibles to this month:

Chaplain Don Parton from the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office wrote and said “I am a Capt. with our department and one of my functions is Director of programs for inmates, also oversee our Reentry division. We would appreciate some Bibles in English and Spanish our facilities house 566 inmates with a population of 30% Spanish. Thank You!”

Chaplain Jason Cizek from the Danville City Jail wrote telling us “I oversee 4 jails with Danville being the largest. Altogether there’s about 500 inmates. Every piece of literature is gifted from donors. My goal is to consistently be able to supply Bibles to those incarcerated. Thank you.”

Chaplain Don Gillis from the Irwin County Detention Center, a facility that had closed during COVID and now reopened under Trump’s new immigration policy, wrote and said “Hello, we house immigration detainees for Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE). We are a relatively small facility having an 1100 bed capacity. The number of detainees being processed through our facility has increased greatly over the last couple of years. I allow and encourage the detainees to take their Bibles with them, if needed, when they leave our facility. This creates a constant need to resupply my inventory. I have been able to secure enough English Bibles but am unable to keep up with the demand for Spanish versions. I am, as of now, completely out of Spanish Bibles. Any help you could give will be greatly appreciated!”

The Lord has filled our plate to overflowing with the sending out of thousands of King James Bibles, RVG Spanish Bibles, scripture portions, gospel tracts and Christian books and literature. All sent out at completely no charge to the chaplains receiving it at the facilities where they work. All made possible by you who pray for this outreach, and who give sacrificially to keep it going all these years. Come help us!

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If God has prospered you, please take a moment to click on the donate button to help us in this monumental task of providing King James Bibles, New Testaments, scripture portions, gospel tracts as well as Spanish Bibles to inmates in jails and prisons from Florida to Alaska, and every state in between. We need your prayers, we need your generous financial support, and we need you to stand with us in the closing days of the Church Age. Thank you so very much, TO THE FIGHT!!!

NOTE: If you need a 501 C3 Letter of Donation for tax purposes, please send your donation to:

NTEB Ministries
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Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

HOW TO DONATE: Click here to view our WayGiver Funding page

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

Barack Hussein Obama

THE PROPHECY NEWS PODCAST: The Obama Library Opens In Chicago As A Dystopian Granite Monolith Like The Headquarters Of A Post-American ‘1984’ Future

Published

2 days ago

June 3, 2026

Geoffrey Grider

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Barack Hussein Obama’s Dark Presidential Library Rises Over Chicago Like A ‘1984’ Dystopian Fortress From The World Of ‘Leave The World Behind’

Barack Obama’s entire political career was built on image. The logo, the posters, the “citizen of the world” speeches. The “hope and change.” The global adoration, the fainting crowds and the messianic language from the media. The Nobel Peace Prize before he had done anything to earn it. The carefully produced cultural aura surrounding him was always bigger than the man himself. Now that image has been literally poured into concrete and granite, with the result looking exactly like what it always was: cold, controlled, menancing, towering, and spiritually empty.

“Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?” Isaiah 2:22 (KJB)

On this episode of the Prophecy News Podcast, in 2023, Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions was attached to Netflix’s ‘Leave The World Behind’, the dystopian thriller directed by Sam Esmail in which America begins collapsing through cyberattack, communications failure, infrastructure breakdown, mass confusion, and psychological terror. Netflix identified Higher Ground as part of the project, and the film itself was sold as a story about a mysterious blackout and a nation coming apart under invisible forces. Now take that imagery and place it side by side with Obama’s new Presidential Library in Chicago. On one side, you have Obama’s Netflix-backed dystopian nightmare: America cut off, Americans confused, phones dead, media gone, planes falling, tankers crashing, trust evaporating, and citizens left to wonder who is really behind the collapse. The end of the movie reveals it to be the American government. On the other side, you have Obama’s real-world presidential tower that is massive, dark, nearly windowless, and standing over Chicago like the headquarters of the people who would remain after the collapse was complete. The official story is “democracy,” “hope,” “community,” and “civic engagement.” But the visual story is something very different. The visual story is granite, height, surveillance-age design, digital archives, curated memory, political legacy, and a near-religious treatment of a man whose presidency accelerated America’s transformation into the globalized, technocratic, identity-driven, post-Christian system we are watching harden all around us. It is literally a depiction of George Orwell’s ‘1984’. The UK Guardian said “Towering over a low-income area of Chicago, and wrapped in a speech that’s hard to decipher, this controversial monolith feels like a menacing sci-fi HQ. Is it a monument – or a mausoleum?” That’s a great question, and today we bring you all the news you need to know here on Day 2,270 of 15 Days To Flatten The Curve!

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