Turkey

[Workingman]

6,000 military personnel arrested
9,000 police officers sacked
3,000 judges suspended
250 staff in education ministry removed
15,000 education staff suspended
1,500 university deans ordered to resign
21,000 teachers' licences at private institutions revoked

The place looks like it could become an Islamist Dictatorship in the near future.

Turkey has the world's 8th largest military. It is well funded, well trained, and well armed; in the air, on land and at sea. With reservists and police the Turkish government can call upon 1.4 million 'service' personnel. And it is on Europe's doorstep.

Am I worried? Yes, and quite a bit more than a little bit.

[cromwell]

It was always on the cards, and now it's happening.

[AggersAgain]

It sounds to me like the beginning of a dictatorship.

What do you think?

[cromwell]

I think you're bang on Aggers. Anyone who doesn't dance to Erdogan's tune is being thrown out of their jobs or jailed.

[Workingman]

I agree as well. You only have to look at the numbers I posted and the occupations they worked in to see the pattern forming.

[Suff]

That's what the Analysts were saying on the night. That Erdogan had thoroughly earned this and that they were surprised it had taken so long.

[Workingman]

And so it continues with journalism, media and social media now under attack.

24 TV and radio licences revoked, newspapers taken over, social media being monitored = censored.

Where next: Civil Servants, the medical profession?

Appeasement from the West anyone?

[cromwell]

The thinkers, the teachers, the judges and now the media. It's a slow motion islamic coup.

Tricky, because Turkey is a NATO member (who thought that one up?) and the USA have military bases in the country.

[TheOstrich]

.... and the USA have military bases in the country.

... not to mention nuclear warheads at that base.

[Suff]

Not to mention the largest store of Nuclear warheads in Western Europe/Middle East.

When the US and others started their litany of "democracy must be honoured" I thought to myself "Erdogan doesn't do democracy I wonder how long it will take for that message to change?".

Not long apparently...