Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has successfully defeated Friday’s coup attempt, which left some 250 dead as planes and helicopters battled in the Istanbul night sky, with pro-coup aircraft even bombing parliament, and protesters took to the streets to confront the rebelling soldiers. As the dust settles, analysts are scrambling to make sense of it, and many conspiracy theories are emerging throughout the Middle East and beyond. But one thing is for certain: the coup’s inability to unseat Erdogan was a relief of Syria’s rebels, and a disappointment for the regime.
Many supporters of the Syrian opposition and rebel groups celebrated news of Erdogan loyalists putting down the coup. The following tweet by the popular @ShamiRebel account, who tweets in support of Syrian rebel groups, sums up this sentiment:
#BreakingNewsOfTheMoment
— ۞Logical⚔فاتح۞ (@ShamiRebel) July 16, 2016
Turkish military's Chief of Staff is back exercising his authorities.
And as always ⬇♥ pic.twitter.com/k1KwWhgjrE
However, supporters of the regime and president Bashar al-Assad in Damascus reportedly celebrated news that a coup was underway, rejoicing at the prospect Erdogan may be ousted.
Turkey under Erdogan has been a major supporter of various rebel groups in Syria, which explains the vastly different opinions on the man.
In general, the unsuccessful coup revealed the depths of Erdogan’s popularity in the Arab world. Many across Lebanon, Jordan and elsewhere spoke of their respect for Erdogan following the news. There were protests in support of him in Lebanon, for example, and some of those attending were Syrian refugees.
Erdogan, of course, is as reviled as he is loved, depending on who you ask. And many of the Middle East’s Kurdish political and military groups routinely lambast him on social media, on the other hand.
Regardless of his perception, Erdogan is seemingly here to stay, for now.
Adam Lucente
