Friday 15th July 2016

[PorFavor]

Live
Turkey 'coup': low flying jets and gunfire heard in Ankara and bridges across Bosphorus in Istanbul closed (Telegraph)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07 ... n-ankara1/


All I can find, thus far.

[PorFavor]

Turkey coup attempt: gunfire in Ankara as military aircraft fly over capital

Turkish PM Binali Yıldırım says security forces are tackling situation after parts of armed forces launched coup attempt (Guardian)

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/ ... ire-ankara

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news ... on-8431256" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Updates from the Mirror on Turkey

[HindleA]

Social media blockout.

[HindleA]

Arguments about whether it is a coup or not continue.

[citizenJA]

Goodnight, everyone.
love,
cJA

[Temulkar]

The Turkish Military have form with coups it has to be said. They are normally quite efficient in them - a lesson to some perhaps - but in the age of social media, and after the arab spring went sour, it could go very badly.

[PorFavor]

Just checked the BBC TV News Channel. Not a whisper or even a tickertape thingy re Turkey.

[HindleA]

BBC now.

[PorFavor]

4m ago 21:28
Military claims takeover of Turkey

The Turkish military says in a statement that it has taken over, according to Reuters. (Guardian)

[Hobiejoe]

The Turkish Military have form with coups it has to be said. They are normally quite efficient in them - a lesson to some perhaps - but in the age of social media, and after the arab spring went sour, it could go very badly.

Am I right in thinking that, certainly in the past, the military would act to protect Ataturk's legacy, particularly in upholding at least a nominal secularism?

[HindleA]

Ros Altman given the boot.Penny Mordaunt made Minister of State at DWP.

[TR'sGhost]

The Turkish Military have form with coups it has to be said. They are normally quite efficient in them - a lesson to some perhaps - but in the age of social media, and after the arab spring went sour, it could go very badly.

Am I right in thinking that, certainly in the past, the military would act to protect Ataturk's legacy, particularly in upholding at least a nominal secularism?

Yes, but at the same time they have always had a nasty habit of locking up trades unionists and democrats of any political persuasion.

[PorFavor]

Ros Altman given the boot.Penny Mordaunt made Minister of State at DWP.

This reshuffle is going on for days! It's totally chaotic! What a disaster. Or I would think that, but a couple of days ago Laura Kuenssberg told me it was brutally efficient.

That was when she was still basking in "the power of goodbye" or some such rot.

[TR'sGhost]

None of this should be a surprise. The book I read about Labour discipline procedures and their history was littered with stories of mayhem.

Not always the left causing trouble either. Quite a few right wingers ran their little fiefdoms according to their rules.

Whoever wins the election, there will be some who are much less than happy. Which includes right-wingers unhappy with a victorious right-winger.

The leadership election won't provide a conclusion to Labour's situation.

[HindleA]

'60;71;80 previous coups apparently.

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... y-confused" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As a foreigner living in the UK since 1991 I have soaked up many British traditions and habits. I do, however, need somebody to explain to me one thing I truly fail to comprehend: how can a PM who has caused the biggest constitutional debacle for entirely selfish reasons and leaves the country in a shambles get a standing ovation in his final Commons appearance? How can he be making jokes when he leaves families uncertain if they can stay in the UK, the pound sinking, a rise in xenophobic attacks and Scotland seeking independence again?
Nicolas Bricht
London

[PorFavor]

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4m ago 22:00
Alan Yuhas

Alan Yuhas

The full Turkish military statement reads: “Turkish Armed Forces have completely taken over the administration of the country to reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms, the rule of law and general security that was damaged.

“All international agreements are still valid. We hope that all of our good relationships with all countries will continue.”

The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is on holiday and outside the country. Reuters has quoted a source within his office as saying that he is safe. (Guardian)

Ah - so the president is out of the country.

[frog222]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... y-confused" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
As a foreigner living in the UK since 1991 I have soaked up many British traditions and habits. I do, however, need somebody to explain to me one thing I truly fail to comprehend: how can a PM who has caused the biggest constitutional debacle for entirely selfish reasons and leaves the country in a shambles get a standing ovation in his final Commons appearance? How can he be making jokes when he leaves families uncertain if they can stay in the UK, the pound sinking, a rise in xenophobic attacks and Scotland seeking independence again?
Nicolas Bricht
London

.
Johnny Foreigner just doesn't understand the British sense of humour

More seriously, 'parliament' is a theatre with points for making the participants laugh , and Blair and Cameron did that well.

Participating in Cameron's final matinée made the oppositions look stupid . ( edit -- complicit might be better there ... )

I'd have stayed away .

[mbc1955]

Ok, has anyone got the faintest idea of what might happen next?

The odds on full-scale planetary invasion by aliens must be shortening by the day.

[Hobiejoe]

Ok, has anyone got the faintest idea of what might happen next?

The odds on full-scale planetary invasion by aliens must be shortening by the day.

Our only hope is if our putative Alien Overlords organising the coup invasion are "moderate" aliens.... makes me wonder who they sent down in human fancy dress to do the groundwork. Would certainly explain Mandelson.

[thatchersorphan]

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1ynJOzQAZEOGR" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; LIVE streamer in ankara (no English translation)

[tinyclanger2]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... s-of-power" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Comments on Montbiot's billionaires piece. Perhaps we should focus on campaigning for change - across the political spectrum rather than continuing with the same mad status quo.

[frog222]

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... s-of-power
Comments on Montbiot's billionaires piece. Perhaps we should focus on campaigning for change - across the political spectrum rather than continuing with the same mad status quo.

One clear example is how the Tories introduced a major reform of the NHS in 2010 which had not been part of its manifesto and which has resulted in its increasing privatisation to the benefit of private health companies. These had contributed a substantial fraction of its funds in the three preceding years. Another is the ongoing privatisation of the state school system, which has largely removed local control of schools and created a new set of contributors to the Conservative party. Reform of party funding has to be complemented by decentralisation of power and a change in the electoral system if it is to be effective.

I've been struck by how worked up people have been about "protecting the NHS from TTIP etc, when the privatisation process has been under way for years !

James Meek's Private Island is an excellent read, free PDF and excerpts at the LRB .

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n23/peter-rode ... or-the-nhs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The question now is whether Labour under Corbyn will end its support for the market in the NHS and get behind the bill. The shadow health minister, Heidi Alexander, is still finding her feet, but the signs are not good. Unlike McDonnell, she has not brought in new political advisers. She is being advised by those who advised Andy Burnham, and judging from a meeting I had with her very recently New Labour thinking on the NHS is for now still very much in place. Ross McKibbin, writing in the LRB of 8 October, expected Corbyn’s leadership to end in tears. If that turns out to be the case, one reason may well be that Corbyn just wasn’t able to translate the support he has in the party into parliamentary backing.

Prescient .