The grim reality behind Turkish PM’s letter

Reading this letter from the Turkish prime minister is an exercise in irony. Just in case someone missed some of its highlights, let me offer my take on them. Mr Yildirim says that “traitors” attacked the Turkish state. In translation, this means anyone not only opposed to the writer’s boss and mentor, Turkish President Erdogan, but also anyone perceived as such. The “traitors” number in the hundreds of thousands: they are members of the military in all its echelons, members of the police and other security services, civil servants, teachers – and most importantly judges and journalists.
Tens of thousands are in prison and the others have been dismissed from their jobs for real or imaginary crimes. For a modern country under a tight leash even before the coup, it is hard to comprehend how such a huge number of “traitors” got away with their treason for so long.
Mr Yildirim allows himself to call Fethullah Gulen (the alleged mastermind of the coup, with zero supporting evidence) a “deranged man, who sees himself as the imam of the universe”. Of course, many would say that this description would rather fit someone who has given himself absolute powers, sees himself as a latter-day sultan and even built a 1,000-room palace at public expense. I trust the readers can easily guess who I am alluding to.
Another point that can be used to teach the notion of irony is the following quote: “This new generation of terrorist organisation resorted to every possible method to eliminate those who are not with them.” Hello!? Is this an insult to our intelligence, or a cleverly disguised prank? Who exactly is trying to eliminate those who are not with them?
As neutrals, our thoughts are with those who cannot get justice in 2017 Turkey (the judges have been fired, or worse), with those who cannot get access to a free press any longer (any journalist who does not toe the Erdogan doctrine is out of work, or in jail) and of course with those who lost their livelihoods. 
Andy Leitner