Turkish media publishers don’t seem to believe in coincidences. As their reactions to a Washington Post article and a news story on CNN International show, many journalists think nefarious elements in the United States are plotting another coup in Turkey.
A Jan. 31 Washington Post article, penned by data scientist Andreas Beger and Duke University political science professor Michael Ward, discussed a forecast model that measures the likelihood of “irregular leadership changes, including coups.” According to Beger and Ward, their model shows Turkey coming in fifth (out of a total of 161 countries) most likely to experience a coup in 2017 — trailing Burundi, Thailand, Central African Republic and Chad. The article appeared on the Post’s “Monkey Cage” blog, which shares political scientists’ research with the public to build “an informed audience.”