Doğu Perinçek, head of the ultranationalist Homeland Party (VP), told the Ahval news website in an exclusive interview that Russian strategist Alexander Dugin, known to be close to the Kremlin, told key advisors of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about unusual activity in the Turkish army on July 14, 2016, a day before a failed coup.
Turkey experienced a coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that killed 249 people and injured thousands of others. Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) government accuse the faith-based Gülen movement of masterminding the putsch, a claim strongly denied by the movement.
Perinçek said Russian strategist Dugin had visited the VP two days before July 15 and told them, “We are observing unusual activity within the Turkish army.” Perinçek claimed he told Dugin to convey that information to government officials during meetings he had scheduled with presidential advisors and Ankara Mayor Melih Gökçek. He apparently also met with Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım.
“We met once again and he said that he conveyed the information to the administration. Dugin reported this information not only to Melih Gökçek on July 14 but also to Tayyip Erdoğan’s senior advisers,” Perinçek told Ahval.
When asked who the key advisors were, Perinçek said: I don’t want to name their names, I don’t know exactly. He had an official appointment with two or three of the principal advisers. It must be in the official records.”