The Padisah is hitting out in every which way because one (or more of his plans) backfired. Over the last few days a coup d'etat in the old fashion seems more possible than ever before.

The short version of this is that Erdogan is burning his bridges with the Islamist organisation Hizmet which is led by Fetullah Gulen. According to some ex-Hizmet members I know, Gulen's people were the moderating factor in the AKP from the beginning. But his form of Islam is not the same as the harder Islamist form Erdogan envisions. Erdogan sees himself as the rightful ruler (as opposed as merely the Prime Minister) of Turkey who should not be held accountable to anybody else than himself and maybe the voter every four years. So he appearantly decided to rid himself of Gulen and his people.

Gulen and his people are biting back though; over the last few days the judiciary and police have moved against people as close to Erdogan as it get's; the sons of some of his ministers and a bunch of big shot business men. Now, that in itself is enough of a story; the AKP tearing at the seams. BUT, the story is rapidly turning into something much much bigger than just graft in Turkey. One of the businessmen arrested turns out to be a man heavily involved with state controled Halk bank in a gold for Iranian oil program. A program that of course was not to the liking of the US government. Which is very understandeable, but what crazy Erdogan now does is put the blame for all his troubles with the US ambassador in Ankara

The chaos grows every day, the turkish lira is rapidly losing value.

New York Times