The great irony in the coup attempt that failed in Turkey was evident. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried for years to stifle the operating freedom of social networks and has accused them of being dark forces attempting to undermine his rule. It was these same social media networks which helped him to put down the coup. Erdogan broadcast from his smart phone a statement to the people, tweeted to his supporters and relied on the media, even those whom he deathly hates, to spread his message in the critical first hours of the coup attempt when uncertainty gripped the country. It seems that those involved — apparently relatively low-ranked officers — would not have succeeded in their operation even if Erdogan had not been able to deliver his broadcast. Jerusalem Post edited
