Turkey recovers after July 15 coup bid
Yoruk Isik takes pictures of the Russian war ship BSF Nikolay Flichenkov 152 as it passes through the Bosphorus Strait, on it's way to the eastern Mediterranean port of Tartus, on October 18, 2016 in Istanbul. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- Close to 300 Turks died while 40,000 were arrested during and after the coup attempt.
- It is clear that Turkey wants to erase any damage caused by the coup attempt, with the airline playing a key role.
- More than 15,800 civilians remain in custody together with 10,012 soldiers and 1,481 members of the country’s judiciary.
- In Turkey itself, Gen Akin Öztürk, former air force chief, was accused leading the attempted putsch.
ISTANBUL
The Turkish Government has embarked on a major campaign to repair the damage dealt on the country’s economy by the July 15 coup attempt.
Close to 300 Turks died while 40,000 were arrested during and after the coup attempt. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was on holiday then.
About 100 journalists from Africa and Asia flew into the commercial capital Ankara for a three-day tour during the weekend.
They visited key installations in Istanbul, including Turkish Airline’s state-of-the-art Flight Training centre where pilots polish their skills every six months.
This centre is among the world’s most modern with 21 simulators, each costing about $200 million. They prepare pilots to handle various types of planes.
All the 4,000 cockpit crews and 8,000 cabin crews train at the centre on a rotational basis.
The training and testing take place 24 hours a day.
The journalists were briefed by the chairman of the airline’s board, Ilker Ayci, who told of the damage caused by the coup attempt that he blamed on followers of Fethullah Gülen who is in exile in the US.
“Gülen’s movement began 30 years ago and was represented in the judiciary, schools, universities and other areas of the economy,” he said.
VITAL INSTALLATIONS
He added that the group’s aim was to seize vital installations like Parliament, the famous Bosphorus Bridge and military bases.
Normal life has returned to Istanbul, apart from pockets of traffic jams.
It is clear that Turkey wants to erase any damage caused by the coup attempt, with the airline playing a key role.
More than 15,800 civilians remain in custody together with 10,012 soldiers and 1,481 members of the country’s judiciary.
At the same time, 48,222 government officials and workers are still on suspension.
Gülen, a Muslim preacher, denies any role in the coup attempt.
In Turkey itself, Gen Akin Öztürk, former air force chief, was accused leading the attempted putsch.
The country’s economy is on a steady path. Before the coup bid, Turkey’s GDP stood at $730 billion.
One of the world’s largest airport is under construction in Istanbul. Officials estimate that it will handle 150 million passengers annually.
Turkey also hosts three million Syrian refugees as it negotiates to join the EU.
