Turkey investigating people who say coup attempt was hoax

Turkish prosecutors are investigating people who have alleged on social media that a July 15 coup attempt was a hoax carried out by the government, the country’s justice minister said today, reflecting what some critics say are increasing restrictions on expression in the wake of the failed rebellion by some military forces.

Turkey also said it plans to hire more than 20,000 teachers to replace those who have been fired in a purge of suspected coup plotters in schools and other institutions.

Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz said the new teachers will replace state educators who have been dismissed as well as teachers in private schools with alleged links to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric who has denied Turkish accusations that he directed the coup attempt that killed about 290 people. In other crackdown measures, Turkey has disbanded the presidential guard after already detaining nearly 300 unit members suspected of plotting against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and authorities detained Muhammet Sait Gulen, a nephew of the cleric who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said in an interview with Turkey’s Kanal 7 television station today that anyone who suggests the coup attempt was staged likely had a role in the insurrection, which was defeated by loyalist forces and pro-government protesters.

There has been some internet speculation that Erdogan engineered the unrest in order to rally support and thereby increase his power, a conspiracy theory rejected by the government and most commentators on Turkey’s recent turbulence. 

Turkey has declared a three-month state of emergency to restore security following the coup attempt, granting Erdogan the power to impose decrees without parliamentary approval.