Military coup in Turkey tonight

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  • SimonS1
    Participant

    Watching on TV news – tanks on streets, broadcaster stormed etc.

    Not good.


    LuganoPirate
    Participant

    No it’s not good Simon, though it’s not the first time the army have tried to seize power. However this time it seems to also have the support of the Air force as well as a significant part of the army so it remains to be seen how this will pan out.

    Unfortunately I foresee a lot more civil unrest in other parts of Western Europe as well in the near future. The politicians and Eurocrats are elitist and sitting in their ivory towers while the people suffer due to the mismanagement of the EU economy, the Euro constraining growth and German supremacy causing a lot of resentment among other nations – not to mention the immigrant crisis and terror attacks.

    Not good at all but makes for interesting times!


    MrMichael
    Participant

    Seems the military Colonels behind the coup want to restore a secular society that has become more Islamist in the past few years with Erdogan putting an ever tighter grip on his supremacy to the detriment of democracy and press freedoms. I have some sympathy for that view and wish the usurpers well.


    canucklad
    Participant

    Sadly ,my mate who frequently holidays in the European side of Turkey is holding court in my local
    As an ” Expert” he welcomes the intervention of people working for normal people against Muslim fundamentalists. A definite west of Bosphrus sentimentality.
    At least he noticed the significance of what was transpiring live on Sky News. A NATO ally that looks more like the DRC than the whims of the DRK

    Hilarious if you don’t care, and surprisingly I find myself ambivalent to it all. Why,some of you might ask….

    TV coverage tells the story between the lines….

    Majority of coverage focussing on a bridge in Istanbul.Brilliant to know that journalists of highly respected news agencies park themselves up in tourist town and not in unfashionable Ankara. Where one way or another the coup will be decided.

    As for Fox News coverage……..Hilariously Trumpish … And the blonde bombshell presenter clearly concerned about impact the breaking news is going to have on her thanksgiving dinner


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    Seems to be calming down – and flights are operating from Ataturk airport, which is a good sign.

    When you go to the Turkish Airlines website, you get the following pop-up.

    Dear Passengers,
    We kindly ask our passengers departing from Istanbul (Ataturk – Sabiha Gokcen), Izmir, Mugla Bodrum, Dalaman and Antalya Airport to arrive at the airport 3 hours before departure time because of heavy traffic.
    Regards,
    Turkish Airlines

    Which must rank as a master of understatement after the events of the last few months


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    ANd on Twitter…


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    This has been released

    “Announcement from Turkish Airlines to our esteemed guests and to the public, upon the call of our President and Commander-In-Chief H.E. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our operations at Istanbul Atatürk Airport have gone back to normal and our flights resuming safely.”


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    Although it has been reported that IST has reopened there are many flight cancellations.

    BA, for example, has said it has cancelled all flights for today and tomorrow.

    From Paris CDG there are usually six flights with TK. Today only one of those flights will operate. While AF will operate just one of its normally three daily flights today.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    I’m now hearing that the Middle East/Gulf carriers are cancelling flights flights to Istanbul today.

    EK/EY/QR/SV are all axed flights today.


    TominScotland
    Participant

    While the political and economic fallout from the coup attempt will be massive (I suspect that even more tourists will cancel their vacations to Turkey, for example), the longer term impact on Turkish Airlines remains to be seen but cannot be positive. Given the extent of their network and TK’s efforts to position themselves as a realistic alternative to the ME3, this will lead to significant readjustments in the long-haul and regional market.

    My question to the BT forum is whether you would book with TK at present and are your longer term plans likely to change?


    MrMichael
    Participant

    I don’t think this will make a great deal of difference to people travelling to Turkey nor to TK. It was all over pretty quickly, albeit with the sad loss of life that occurred. The main Airports and TK were up and running again quicker than the recovery from fog over Heathrow.

    I worry more for the democratic process in Turkey, in my view this will be a great excuse for Erdogan to place further restrictions on legitimate opposition to his government.


    AMcWhirter
    Participant

    KLM and Lufthansa have resumed their Turkish services today.

    But Turkish Airlines has many cancellations.

    http://www.turkishairlines.com/en-int/corporate/announcements/announcement/17-july-cancellation-flights


    canucklad
    Participant

    Two answers to your question Tom…..

    1) As a destination in its own right,then Turkey and Istanbul/ Ankara in particular are becoming less and less attractive. IMO, tensions are going to increase between the west looking Turks and the Islamic zealots. So my personal perspective is why gamble on Turkey,when you’re almost guaranteed a great holiday in the Greek islands.
    Consequently ,point to point traffic will inevitably suffer.

    2) Sheer economics will attract transit customers through Ataturk. Price flights competitively and they will come. Personally TK have shown faith by choosing to serve EDI so it’s only FARE to recognize that investment.

    And I suspect as a consequence of my first point, TK might have to promote onward destinations to fill the diminishing point to point seats .

    Having said that, it would need to maintain their safety and on-board service levels.


    stevescoots
    Participant

    If I flew TK, which I dont for other reasons, This incident would not stop me from flying with them. On a different note however I can foresee Turkey being an Islamic state in 10 years’ time. Erdogan will become a dictator in all but name in a similar vein to Putin. As a border state member of Nato and the huge leverage he has over the EU on the migrant crisis there is nothing anyone can do to stop him. I foresee the economy tanking further as investment pulls out, baulking of his removal of secularism. That in turn will force moderates on the streets and there will be turmoil. With the military and judiciary now effectively culled in terms of its secularist views he will use them if he feels threatened.
    I hope I am wrong!


    Tom Otley
    Keymaster

    This is the latest for tonight (for those with upcoming flights)

    Dear Passengers,

    For the individual and group passengers who have booked on the Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet flights from/to Turkey (Including domestic flights) and/or transit flights via Turkey between 15.07.2016 – 20.07.2016 (Included) and ticketed on/before 15.07.2016, providing that their tickets are validating until 15.08.2016 (Included), disregarding of related fare rules;

    1.Rebooking and rerouting will be made without any charge. The rule is valid also for the different reservation booking classes only if the new destination is in the same IATA region and the same compartment.
    2. Refund Requests:
    A. Unused Ticket: Refund will be made without any charge.
    B. Used Ticket: Refund will be made considering at involuntary.
    3. Extension of Validity:
    Validity of ticket can be extended until 15.08.2016 without any fare difference or penalty.
    4. Rebooking/rerouting of group reservations for which payment or guarantee MCO is received will be made disregarding applying penalties of existing fare rules.
    5. These applications are valid only on flights operated by Turkish Airlines and AnadoluJet.
    Application defined in this telex includes extraordinary cases which are not covered within flight and service irregularities procedure. (PR. 10. 677. 006) The rules given in this telex also include flights which are operated on time and/or delayed within limits defined in related procedure in case that passengers request changes. The irregularities defined in flight and service irregularities procedure will be used for all other extraordinary cases with the rules mentioned in this procedure.

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