2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt

On the evening of 15 July 2016, an attempted military coup occurred in Turkey, orchestrated by a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces of 8,500 soldiers and military cadets, identifying themselves as the "Peace at Home Council". Armed troops attempted to seize control of several key locations in Ankara, Istanbul, and Marmaris but were defeated by a mix of loyalist soldiers and civilian protestors.

The Council cited an erosion of secularism, elimination of democratic rule, disregard for human rights, and Turkey's loss of credibility in the international arena as reasons for the coup. That same evening, Erdoğan stated that they had evidence the coup leaders were linked to the Gülen movement, and alleged that the United States was harboring Gülen. The Gülen movement had over 2,000 schools, hundreds of charities, and hospitals globally by 2015. Erdoğan had designated the movement as a terrorist organization in May 2016, citing the police investigation of the 2013 corruption scandal which he described as a "judicial coup attempt" allegedly carried out by police officers linked to the movement. The Gülen movement was led by Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish businessman and a well-known Islamic scholar who lived in exile in Pennsylvania. In response, Gülen called for an international commission to investigate the failed coup and said he would accept the findings if such a body found evidence of his guilt. In contrast, the Erdoğan government did not agree even to a proposal for a national parliamentary committee to investigate the events of 15 July.

Events surrounding the coup attempt and the purges in its aftermath reflect a complex power struggle between Islamist elites in Turkey.

During the coup attempt, over 300 people were killed, and more than 2,100 were injured. Turkish government claimed that many government buildings, including the Turkish Parliament and the Presidential Palace, were bombed from the air, however independent journalists like Ahmet Nesin argued that the marks seen in the photos of the parliament building, such as burns, holes or damage to the surrounding structures do not match what would be expected from a missile or airstrike, therefore he finds such claims absurd.

The next morning Erdoğan called the coup attempt "a gift from God" and started his mass arrests and purges, with at least 40,000 detained in the first days, including at least 10,000 soldiers and 2,745 judges (who were arrested the next morning on 16 July), for being affiliated with the coup attempt. 15,000 education staff were also suspended and the licenses of 21,000 teachers working at private institutions were revoked after the government stated they were loyal to Gülen. More than 77,000 people were arrested and over 160,000 fired from their jobs, on reports of connections to Gülen. Since the 2016 coup attempt, approximately 3 million citizens have been tried and 527,000 detained on terrorism-related charges in Turkey. 15 universities and 35 hospitals, 1226 charities, more than 1000 schools were shut down due to alleged links to the movement on 23 July 2016, just 8 days after the coup attempt.

There were many reactions against the coup attempt, both domestically and internationally. The main opposition parties in Turkey condemned the attempt, while several international leaders—such as those of the United States, NATO, the European Union, and neighboring countries—called for "respect of the democratic institutions in Turkey and its elected officials." Many international organizations also opposed the coup. The United Nations Security Council, however, did not denounce the coup after disagreements over the phrasing of a statement. Iran opposed the coup and advised Erdogan to defeat the coup plotters.

In March 2017, Germany's intelligence chief said Germany was unconvinced by Erdoğan's statement that Fethullah Gülen was behind the failed coup attempt. The same month, the British Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee said some Gülenists were involved in the coup d'état attempt but found no hard evidence that Fethullah Gülen masterminded the failed coup and found no evidence to justify the United Kingdom designating the Gülen movement as a "terrorist organization".

On 18 July 2016, historian Michael Rubin compared the coup attempt to previous ones, highlighting several key differences and its overall absurdity. He later referred to the coup attempt as "Turkey's Reichstag Fire", suggesting that it had been staged by Erdoğan himself. Unlike previous coups, which typically occurred in the early morning hours between 3 and 4 a.m. while the population was asleep, this attempt took place at 9 p.m. Furthermore, there was no civilian resistance in prior coup attempts. This coup also stands out as no politicians were arrested, a stark contrast to previous events where hundreds were detained. The coup was announced by a female TV anchor, a stark contrast to past coups where military commanders publicly claimed responsibility on national television.

A 2019 Nordic Monitor report claimed that early draft coup directives listed Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar as "President" of the putschist Peace at Home Council, with his signature on orders to impose martial law. Later public versions omitted his name, but some analysts suggest this raises questions about his role during the coup.

Since 2016, Turkey has become increasingly authoritarian under Erdogan regime, according to Reporters Without Borders as of 2025 90% of the media is controlled by the government and Turkey ranks 159th out of 180 countries in terms of freedom of press. Freedom House has lowered Turkey's Freedom Rating every year since the 2016 coup attempt, and since 2018 has classified it as "Not Free". Turkey's ranking in the World Justice Project Rule of law index declined between 2016 and 2025, falling from 80th place to 118th out of 143 countries. Turkey's incarceration rate has more than doubled since the coup attempt and as of 2026 it is the highest in Europe.