Perhaps the most surprising consequence from Friday's failed Turkish coup, was the Turkish government's cutting electricity and suspending operations at the giant US airbase at Incirlik, which not only serves as the focal point of many US anti-ISIS missions, but also houses at least 50 B61 nuclear bombs. However, a piece of the puzzle was revealed today when a Turkish government official said the Turkish commander of the Incirlik air base has been detained. The official said Sunday that Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, 10 other soldiers and one police officer from the Incirlik base are arrested for their role in the botched Friday coup attempt.
The Turkish private DHA news agency showed footage of Van handcuffed and pushed into a van outside a courthouse.
DHA: #Adana'da #?ncirlikUssu komutan? Tu?general Bekir Ercan Van ile 10 asker ve bir emniyet muduru tutukland?. pic.twitter.com/6rQzi8bwsC
-- sendika.org (
_org) July 17, 2016
Meanwhile, the counter-coup, this time with the implicit blessing of all western powers, is picking up speed.
Earlier today, according to AP reports, Turkish President Erdogan vowed to "systemically purge" all state institutions of supporters of an Islamist cleric his government blames for Friday's failed coup attempt. Speaking at a funeral in Istanbul on Sunday, Erdogan vowed to "clean all state institutions of the virus" of Fethullah Gulen supporters.
He also promised a purge of the armed forces even before the coup attempt was over. "They will pay a heavy price for this," he said. "This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army."
President Erdogan attends funeral for some of those who died in coup attempt in #Turkeyhttps://t.co/AAxFKFPetB https://t.co/6Qz3i7fh00