The diplomacy of Turkey's coup attempt psyche

This week marks the first anniversary of the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which from day one the government declared as a terrorist act orchestrated by the U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen.

Ankara subsequently urged Turkish embassies around the world to hold memorial services and use every occasion to explain the evils of Gülen's terror network to Turkey's allies. 

Observing Turkey's diplomatic push to outlaw Gülenists, I cannot help but remember when in its first years in power the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government issued a decree to urge Turkish embassies - the doors of which had hitherto been closed to Gülenists - to establish good ties with Gülen schools and benefit from their know how. 
 
This week in Washington I counted five events on the theme of the failed coup attempt. There were three panel discussions hosted by Turkish think tanks operating in the U.S., one hosted by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and a press conference given by Turkish Ambassador Serdar Kılıç. One common aspect of all think tank panels was the participation of former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey. Jeffrey is not only a diplomat who has extensive knowledge about Gülen's green card process, but is also among a handful of Americans who genuinely understand the possible grave consequences of last year's coup attempt if it had been successful. 

The ignorance of the Americans over Ankara's frustration with the lack of empathy on the threat Turkey faced on the night of July 15, 1016 cannot simply be explained by ill intentions, as most Turks tend to believe. The story of the AKP and Gülen breaking their political alliance and eventually becoming enemies is very complex, and deciphering it requires deep...