The European Union Intelligence and Situation Centre (EU INTCEN) said in a recent report dated Aug. 24 that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan planned to purge opposition forces in the military before July’s attempted coup.

EU’s intelligence-sharing bureau said the coup attempt was a result of fear among Erdoğan’s critics in the military.

Intcen said it is likely that a group of officers comprising Gulenists, Kemalists (secularists), opponents of the AKP and opportunists was behind the coup. It is unlikely that [Fethullah] Gulen himself played a role in the attempt,” read the report.

“The coup was just a catalyst for the crackdown prepared in –advance.”

Formed in 2012, the EU INTCEN works under the authority of the EU’s High Representative for foreign affairs.

In the very aftermath of the July 15 coup attempt, Turkey announced a State of Emergency, under which basic human rights came under jeopardy. More than 123,500 people lost their jobs, over 88,000 were detained and some 42,400 arrested in post-coup government purges.