In 2013, the Egyptian military launched a coup to seize power from an elected government affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood and apparently bent on undermining democracy. Something like the same thing occurred in Turkey last week—except that there the coup was unsuccessful. But Egypt’s Islamists were watching closely, writes Eric Trager:
[Egyptian] Islamists believe that Erdogan’s victory can inspire [their country’s] various opposition movements to come together. “Perhaps this will lead revolutionaries inside and outside Egypt to unify around the goal of ending this coup,” Brotherhood leader Gamal Heshmat said in an interview. Other Brotherhood leaders suggested that Erdogan’s success indicates that no coup can last forever. And whenever Egypt’s current [military] regime falters, the Brotherhood intends to follow Erdogan’s example in quickly targeting enemies within the state.
Nor is the Egyptian Brotherhood the only Islamist group that, according to Jonathan Schanzer, has reason to be pleased with Erdogan’s restoration:
Turkey has never been fully committed to countering Islamic State. The Erdogan government has been more eager to topple the Assad regime in Syria. This position is understandable, given the atrocities Assad has committed. But, what is inexcusable is Turkey’s decision to allow its southeastern frontier to be exploited by Islamist fighters seeking to join the fray. Islamic State has undeniably benefited. . . .
For the past few weeks, it seemed that Turkey was ready to buckle down, particularly after the terror attack on Istanbul’s airport. But that was fleeting. Friday night’s coup attempt is now sure to pull Ankara into another protracted battle: the purge of domestic enemies.
Read more on New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2016/07/19/the-fallout-from-the-coup-in-turkey/the-fight-against-isis-will-suffer-because-of-turkeys-coup