“The EU is not the whole world”, Erdogan said in an interview with Al Jazeera on Wednesday before announcing a 3-month state of emergency.
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The announcement was made during a televised address and after a almost five hour meeting of the National Security Council.
While declaring the imposition of the emergency Erdogan said that the measure was being taken to counter threats to Turkish democracy.
“We will remain within a democratic parliamentary system”.
“Under global law, there are certain rights, like the right to a fair trial and bans on torture and discrimination, which can never be suspended or limited in any way”, said Amnesty Turkey researcher Andrew Gardner.
In other moves, Turkey demanded the resignations of 1,577 university deans and halted foreign assignments for state-employed academics.
President Erdogan paid tribute to those who died in defence of the country.
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. The purge also extended to civil servants in the environment and sports ministries.
On Tuesday, authorities shut media outlets deemed to be supportive of Gulen. Officials blame a religious movement for the plot.
One of the ruling party’s most senior figures, Mustafa Sentop, on Wednesday called for the restoration of the death penalty for crimes aimed at changing the constitutional order. But it was not immediately clear if Erdogan would back the move urged by his ally in comments to broadcaster NTV.
Erdogan has warned of further arrests and suspensions to come as Turkish authorities continued to pursue those they believed responsible for the failed coup. He has condemned the abortive coup and denied any role in it.
He has accused followers of his rival, U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, of being behind the coup, which has led to a wave of some 50,000 arrests and sackings of suspected conspirators.
“This is resembling the pre-genocidal periods in fascist Europe”.
“It is very similar to a cancer”, he said.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the preacher led a “terrorist organization”.
In their first telephone conversation since the attempted overthrow, President Barack Obama pledged USA assistance to Erdogan for the investigation into the putsch, which has threatened to once again raise tensions between the uneasy North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies.
“We need to be more sensitive”.
“Intellect should take precedence in relations between the countries, otherwise it will be a big mistake”. Even if approved by a judge, it would still have to go to Secretary of State John Kerry, who can consider non-legal factors, such as humanitarian arguments.
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Martial law was imposed across the country for three years following a successful military coup in 1980.
