Gulen, a long-time resident of the United States, has denied masterminding the coup.
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Noting that Gulen had a “big presence in Pakistan”, Girgin said that Turkey was in close contact with Pakistani authorities. Halis Hanci, described as the cleric’s right-hand man, apparently entered Turkey two days before the abortive coup, the official told reporters. The guard are members of the special forces regiment stationed at the presidential palace in Ankara.
He was referring to Erdogan’s statement that he would consider calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty for use against the coup plotters. The foundations targeted include, for example, the Association of Judges and Prosecutors (YARSAV), a secular group that criticised a recent judicial law drafted by Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party. Public buses and some private cars were adorned with red Turkish flags.
Some commentators have pointed out that, traditionally, the Gulen movement has been at odds with the military, who were at the forefront of last week’s coup attempt.
The night of violence left 24 rebel soldiers dead and killed 179 civilians, 62 police and five soldiers who opposed them and have been hailed as “martyrs”.
Turkey plans to dismantle the special presidential guard, he added.
The justice and interior ministers of Turkey will visit the United States to discuss the extradition of a muslim cleric accused by Anakra of plotting the failed coup attempt, local media reported Friday.
The gendarmerie, which looks after domestic security, had always been part of the military and its removal is a blow to the armed forces’ clout after the coup. “But I think, if nothing extraordinary happens, a meeting with the Russian president may take place about mid-August”.
Turkey’s government said last Friday’s attempted coup was organized by followers of USA -based preacher Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as a “parallel state”.
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Erdogan has insisted that, despite the new emergency powers and the mass purges, Turkey will not “compromise on democracy”, as Ankara has said its measures are no different to those France has taken since a series of bloody jihadist attacks. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has ordered the closure of more than 1,000 private schools and extended the period in which some suspects can be detained without charge, in his first decree since declaring a three-month state of emergency.
