US State Department, Mark Toner has also denied Turkish accusations of US involvement in the attempted coup.
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Western leaders have urged Erdogan and his government to respect democratic principles and act within the law in response to talk of reviving the death penalty and heavy-handed punishments over the coup. “I don’t believe this government will pay attention to anything that is not legally sound”, he said.
In 2002, Turkey lifted its last state of emergency, which had been imposed in southeastern provinces for the fight against Kurdish militants in 1987. The Turkish military has been regularly hitting suspected PKK hideouts and position in Iraq since previous year, but Wednesday’s strikes were the first since the July 15 botched takeover attempt by a faction within the armed forces, in which several F-16 pilots were involved.
“I am not the person who planned or led the coup”. “It’s summer break and we’ve all been summoned back to work as all annual leave has been cancelled”, said the teacher, who did not wish to give her name.
It has also hit financial markets, with the lira at one point losing five percent in value against the dollar although it rallied slightly Monday, while Sovereign debt rater Moody’s said it was reviewing Turkey’s credit rating for a possible downgrade.
He called the putsch attempt “treason, a betrayal of the Turkish nation”.
Addressing hundreds of supporters outside his Istanbul residence early Tuesday, Erdogan responded to calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty with the simple statement: “You can not put aside the people’s demands”.
It is unclear how many soldiers participated in the attack, during which two of Erdogan’s bodyguards were killed, and it is unclear how loyal the troops were, given that they were briefed on the coup so late in proceedings.
“There is a clear crime of treason”, he said. “No country can become an European Union state if it introduces the death penalty”.
Amnesty International said it was alarmed by the widening crackdown.
It was unclear when he would be coming to the capital Ankara. Every night since the coup he has spoken to supporters in the Istanbul district of Kisikli, where he has a home, urging them to maintain a “vigil” for democracy.
Access was restricted because of a “violation of privacy and publication of illegally obtained data”, a Turkish official told CNN.
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The failed coup left 240 people martyred, including 62 police officers, five soldiers and 173 civilians. He said it would be used to go after “rogue” elements within the state and that there would have been “carnage in the streets” had the military coup succeeded.
