Germany’s highest court rejected a bid Saturday night to reverse local judges’ ruling that a screen at the event couldn’t be used to show addresses from outside speakers – a decision that Turkey says prevented an address by Erdogan. Hundreds of ongoing cases will be affected by the decision.
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During the 15 July coup attempt Mr Erdogan spoke live on TV via his mobile phone.
More than 60,000 people in the military, judiciary, civil service and education have been detained, suspended or placed under investigation since the coup, prompting fears that Erdogan is pursuing an indiscriminate crackdown on all forms of dissent. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denies any knowledge of the attempt to overthrow the government.
Germany is home to roughly 3 million people with Turkish roots.
In a sign of efforts to shore up relations, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, visited Turkey and met with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hulusi Akar, who was briefly held captive by the rebels during the coup, as well as with Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.
“Eleven of them were captured in Ula”, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said after a cabinet meeting, referring to a town near Marmaris.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry downplayed Turkey’s decision to summon the German charge d’affaires, with ministry spokesman Martin Schaefer saying it was an “everyday normality” for “the representative of a country to be asked to go to the foreign ministry in his host country”.
Apart from apprehending those who directly participated in the putsch, the government has sought to crack down on those suspected of being members of Gulen’s movement and has been bringing the military under increasing civilian control.
Turkey has arrested 11 fugitive soldiers and said at least 311 soldiers, including nine generals, are still at large following this month’s coup attempt.
Kurtulmus said anyone associated with Gulen’s movement would be purged from the public sector and his government “will show no mercy” toward suspects linked to the coup.
“There must definitely be some among them who were subjected to unfair procedures”, he said in comments published by state-run Anadolu news agency. “Sorry, but everything has a price”.
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According to official reports, the president’s security team was tipped off that a squad of soldiers was heading to his hotel and moved him.
