Allies turned bitter foes

What was once a marriage of convenience has become a bitter and damaging fight between two men that threatens to damage Turkish democracy and change its face forever.

When a group within Turkey's military launched a coup on Friday night, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wasted little time in blaming Fethullah Gulen and his followers, which he describes as a terrorist organisation. Gulen has firmly denied any involvement.

His soft power in Turkey with thousands of followers, often called Gulenists by their opponents, offered Erdogan a base of supporters during the early years of his premiership from 2003.

According to Anthony Skinner, head of political risk at Verisk Maplecroft consultancy, the two men's friendship was based on challenging the control by the then secular establishment.

The two groups wanted to weaken the military which had prior to Friday conducted three successful coups and forced the then-government out of office in 1997. Once in charge of the country, Skinner said there was a greater struggle for power, with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) having the upper hand.

Gulenists became antagonised when AKP began to taste greater success in elections, said the analyst, especially over Erdogan's rule and efforts towards forging a peace deal with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party). Critics say they had concerns over the threat to their network and influence in the Kurdish southeast.

The alliance unravelled in 2013 as Erdogan closed dershanes, network of schools run by Gulen. The authorites detested the Gulen-run school system, fearing it was creating thousands of bright but loyal students who would take top positions in the police and judiciary.

But the gauntlet was really thrown down in December 2013 with a massive corruption scandal that threatened to engulf Erdogan. Three government ministers were forced to resign over the affair which the government described as a Gulen-inspired coup attempt.

The Erdogan government has purged thousands of officers within the police and army as well as members of the judiciary accused of having links to the preacher. Gulen-linked media organisations were also raided in March including the Zaman newspaper and the Cihan news agency.

Experts say there are Gulenist elements within the army but it is not possible to speculate on what links he could have to the plot.

Natalie Martin, lecturer in politics and international relations at Nottingham Trent University, asked: "Is it a Gulenist faction within the military? Possibly, but that seems a little bit too easy," she told AFP.

For Skinner, it is unlikely Gulen ordered the coup because of the risk of extradition among other issues, but said supporters within the army could have conducted the putsch on Friday.

But he too added: "It is too early to tell."