Late on Friday, Turkish authorities said that an attempted coup d’etat took place in the country.
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European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warned the Turkish government on Monday against taking steps that would damage the constitutional order following a failed weekend coup.
US secretary of state John Kerry will tour Europe to convince Europeans that they would benefit from an EU-US free trade deal.
Chancellor Angela Merkel told Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday that Germany vehemently opposes the reinstatement of the death penalty in Turkey and that such a step would prevent Turkey becoming an European Union member, a German government spokeswoman said.
“We can not delay this anymore because in this country, those who launch a coup will have to pay the price for it”, he said in a funeral service for those death during the uprising. The United States and European Union today sternly warned Turkey to respect the rule of law after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government launched a massive crackdown following the failed coup. “We will certainly support bringing the perpetrators of the coup to justice but we also caution against a reach that goes well beyond that”. At least 294 people were killed and more than 1,400 wounded.
While they illustrated the deepening frustration with his government’s response to the failed coup, which has even included allegations by Turkish government ministers of USA complicity in the violence.
Kerry noted specifically that Turkey, as a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally, had to live up to the values of democracy and rule of law which the US-led alliance is meant to protect and foster. It appears, he added, as if Turkey had “prepared” arrest lists of political opponents and was waiting for the right time to act.
“Reintroduction of the death penalty would prevent successful negotiations to join the EU”, Steinmeier said. The European Union and the United States expressed alarm Monday with Turkey’s response to a failed coup, telling the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member and EU aspirant that it must uphold democracy and human rights as it pursues the military officers and anyone else involved in the plot.
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Turkey has said it is putting together an extradition request for Gulen.
