The failed military coup in Turkey came as a surprise to the diplomatic and intelligence communities, according to New York GOP Rep. Peter King.
In an interview aired Sunday on
"The Cats Roundtable," the member of the House Homeland Security Committee said no one "saw this coming."
Excerpts were posted ahead of the airing by
The Hill.
"As far as I know, there was no diplomatic talk there was no intelligence talk of this coup," King said.
"We know many people in the military are dissatisfied and were strongly opposed to President Erdogan, feeling he had become a virtual dictator and he had also purged a number of top people in the military. But no one that I’m aware of saw this coup coming."
If the coup had succeeded, King said rebellious military leaders "probably would have been more effective in fighting ISIS."
"As a democracy, we can't support a military coup against democracy," King said, adding: "We have to pressure Erdogan to take a firmer position against ISIS."
"He has basically allowed thousands and thousands of Europeans to go through Turkey into Syria, fight along ISIS, be trained by ISIS, and then come back to Turkey into Europe," he said.