Turkey: 1.5% of the Military Participated in Failed Coup

Revealing that 1,684 military personnel have already been dishonorably discharged in the post-coup purge, Turkish officials say that the coup plotters amounted to 1.5% of the active military, saying 8,651 soldiers took part in the attempted coup.

The military’s statement on the matter went on to say that 35 warplanes, 37 attack helicopters, 37 tanks, and 246 armored vehicles were used in the attempt. The failed coup left 246 people dead, and over 2,000 wounded. This included fighters on both sides, but also a number of civilian bystanders.

That’s a substantial force, but pales in comparison to the amount of the leadership claimed to be involved. Already, some 40% of Turkey’s active generals and admirals were swept up in the dishonorable discharge, with a good chunk of them detained.

With Turkey continuing to sweep up more and more people in its purge, particularly from the military, many analysts are calling Turkey’s military a “broken force,” and with so much of the military leadership swept up, it’s going to take a long time for it to recover.