I'm thinking maybe it was a hybrid of false flag and genuine - Erdogan fearing a coup gets some of his general friends to try to foment a coup. Most of the followers think it's for real. Then everyone gets arrested. Erdogan's friends do a year in jail and then are released, the others treated harshly.

A possible friendly general is Mehmet Dişli, Erdogan's friends brother. https://www.commentarymagazine.com/foreign-policy/middle-eas...