In its most recent report on human rights in that country, the State Department cited interference with freedom of the news media – including the arrests of 30 journalists, at least some of whom worked at publications critical of Erdogan – and an “overly broad application of anti-terror laws”, resulting in “politically motivated investigations and court verdicts”.
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Washington has said it would consider Gulen’s extradition only if clear evidence was provided, prompting Turkish Prime Minister Yildirim to accuse the United States of double standards in its fight against terrorism. He said the move was justified under a convention article allowing for such a suspension in times of emergency.
Citing France’s ongoing state of emergency, he said European critics could take “a lesson in democracy” from Turkey.
Turkish authorities on July, 21 imposed a three-month state of emergency, strengthening powers to round up suspects accused of staging the failed military coup despite global alarm over a widening purge.
The state of emergency will give the government sweeping powers to expand a crackdown that has already included mass arrests and the closure of hundreds of schools.
“If conditions return to normal, we think it will take a one or one-and-a-half month period at the maximum. I hope there will be no need for a further extension”.
“As the commander in chief, I will also attend to it so that all the viruses within the armed forces will be cleansed”, Erdogan said. Istanbul’s Mayor Kadir Topbas, has vowed to create a “Graveyard for traitors” in the outskirts of the city for people to visit and curse the coup plotters.
Speaking ahead of the vote, CHP lawmaker Ozgur Ozel said the decision would amount to a “civilian coup” against Parliament and was a display of “ingratitude” to all the legislators who had gathered in the assembly Saturday to oppose the coup attempt.
Erdogan has said the sweep is not yet over and that he believes foreign countries might have been involved in the attempt to overthrow him. A nationalist opposition party supported the state of emergency but other opposition politicians were uneasy.
Turkey has demanded the extradition of imam Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in the United States since the turn of the millennium, to face charges for masterminding the failed July 15 coup attempt.. Ankara has said it will seek the extradition of Gulen, who has denounced the coup attempt and denied any involvement.
The putsch and the purge that has followed have unsettled the country of 80 million, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member bordering Syria, Iraq and Iran, and a Western ally in the fight against Islamic State.
The President returned to the capital late on Tuesday for the first time since the coup and was chairing a meeting at his presidential palace of his national security council, composed of top military brass and security ministers.
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Emergency rule, which was in force in parts of Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast until last decade, allows the government to issue decrees with the force of law and suspend rights, according to the constitution.
