On July 15, some Turkish soldiers initiated a coup d'etat but were suppressed hours later. More than 200 people were killed and 2,000 injured during the failed coup and subsequent conflicts in various regions.
The Turkish government claimed the failed coup was organized by followers of Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then started a large-scale crackdown on coup-related personnel.
The European Union and the United States blamed Ankara for its "disproportionate repressive measures" in response to the failed military coup. The European Parliament proposed to temporarily freeze Turkey's accession talks to join the EU.
In response, Turkey accused Western countries of blatanly interfering in its domestic affairs. Turkey's relationship with the West plummeted to rock bottom.
