Also on Saturday, Ankara’s chief prosecutor Harun Kodalak was reported by Turkish media as saying 1,200 soldiers detained in the wake of the coup had been released.
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The Turkish leader has said the state of emergency will allow the authorities to restore order and deal with the aftermath of the failed coup effectively. It also arrested Halis Hanci, who is said to be Gulen’s right hand man, a presidency official said.
Banners were hung on road bridges, subways and advertising boards around Istanbul with the words “Hakimiyet Milletindir” (The People Rule).
Amid a sea of red flags, banners bore slogans such as “We defend the republic!”
The party opposed the coup attempt and supported Erdogan, but it voted against his state of emergency declaration. Erdogan told France 24 on Saturday that Turkey has no choice but to impose stringent security measures, after the attempted coup that killed about 290 people and was put down by loyalist forces and protesters.
“Our goal is that it shouldn’t be extended, but if the need arises it may of course be extended”, he said in an interview with the ATV television station.
The rapid pace of arrests since the failed coup last Friday has anxious many of Turkey’s Western allies, who say they see Turkey going down an increasingly authoritarian road.
Traditionally, the army has been the guardian of Turkey’s secular tradition and has played a leading role in the country’s political set-up.
Under a new presidential decree following the attempted coup, suspects can be detained for as long as 30 days without charge and the government can listen in on all conversations they have with their lawyers.
Furthermore, the coup itself seemed like an amateurish attempt at seizing power. And in the past there had been some support for the coups that took place in the country, even though these always came at a very high price. Later, Gulen became one of the leaders of the opposition.
Among the 1,229 charities and foundations being shut down for their suspected involvement with the Gulen movement are 19 trade unions, 15 universities and 35 medical institutions.
Parliament must approve the decree but this only requires a simple majority, which the governing AK Party has. “If people lost their jobs they must be guilty”.
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu made a statement on Thursday that the United States had proposed setting up a commission to discuss the Gulen extradition issue and said Turkey was ready to take part.
Officials said public transport in Istanbul would be free of charge on Sunday, apparently to boost the number of participants. However, Gulen became Erdogan’s enemy after his supporters allegedly recorded and leaked incriminating conversations involving Erdogan, his relatives and other top officials in 2013 and 2014.
Police also detained Kerime Kurmas – reportedly Turkey’s only female fighter pilot – accusing her of being one of the rebel air force officers who flew thundering F-16 jets low over the roofs of Istanbul on the coup night.
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The flag-waving demonstrators in the city’s Taksim square reflected widespread rejection of the coup attempt in a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation country that has endured several coups in past decades. He left Turkey in 1999, and is now living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania.
