National security

Turkey Was an Unlikely Victim of an Equally Unlikely Coup

If the attempted coup in Turkey came as a surprise, there was good reason: The event went against decades of research on how, when and why coups happen.

Friday night’s uprising appeared to diverge wildly from the usual patterns. And political scientists who study coups say Turkey should have been at little risk.

Secretary of State John Kerry, reiterating support for Turkey’s government, expressed the bafflement felt by many observers.

“It surprised everybody, including the people in Turkey,” Mr. Kerry said, adding, “I must say it does not appear to be a very brilliantly planned or executed event.”