 Critics found it suspect that reportedly no government officials were arrested or harmed during the attempted coup, which—among other factors—raised the suspicion of a false flag event staged by the Turkish government to crack down on opposition parties.Those in Turkey suggesting that the coup was staged are also being questioned by the government.Politicians and journalists who were skeptical of the authenticity of the coup plot said that in reality, a 'civil coup' had effectively been staged against the Armed Forces and Judiciary, both of which were extensively purged of stated Gülen supporters by the government shortly after the events.