Turkey can hold suspects up to 30 days without charge

Erdogan has pledged to “cleanse” the country’s institutions of the “virus” of Gulen supporters, drawing concerns from Turkey’s Western allies over his increasingly authoritarian stance.

Muhammet Gulen was due to be taken to the capital Ankara after being detained in Erzurum, the eastern region where his uncle is said to have developed his deep convictions, close to his birthplace of Korucuk.

The nephew was detained in connection with the coup, which Turkey says was organised by the “Fethullah Terrorist Organisation”, state-run news agency Anadolu reported.

Some of Erdogan’s critics claim he is using the failed coup to indiscriminately crackdown on dissent.

Istanbul’s Taksim Square was transformed into a sea of red national flags in what was dubbed a “democracy festival” that brought together the ruling Islamic-conservative and opposition secular camps.

All of that said, a USA position of firm support for Turkey’s elected government and the country’s position as a moderate, democratic, predominantly Muslim state, an ally of the United States since the end of World War II and a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member since 1952, is the only appropriate, principled one that Washington can pursue at this point. Under the three-month state of emergency approved July 21, the decrees have the force of law and can’t be appealed.

“Our goal is that it shouldn’t be extended, but if the need arises it may of course be extended”, he said in the interview conducted jointly by A Haber and ATV. “There will no longer be a presidential guard, there is no goal, there is no need”.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim will chair the council composed of ministers including justice, interior, finance, foreign, education, defense and labor, according to the decision published in Turkey’s official gazette.

The presidential guard numbers up to 2,500 soldiers but at least 283 were detained after the uprising.

The decree extends from four to 30 days the period in which suspects can be detained.

President Obama said Turkey needed to conduct its investigation of the coup attempt “consistent with the rule of law”. All groups in the legislature denounced the coup attempt, though some argued that the state of emergency wasn’t necessary given that the government had initiated the purge without it.

The Armed Forces Chief of General Staff, General Hulusi Akar, described the renegade soldiers as “the vile, uniformed traitors (who) damaged our country, people and our armed forces in a major way”.

Turkey has imposed a three-month state of emergency, saying it would enable authorities to effectively root out supporters of the failed coup.

More rallies were planned over the weekend in many towns and cities.

A Turkish flag flies near the Bosporus strait prior to the Bosporus Cross-Continental Swimming Race in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, July 24, 2016. Video screens on trains show pictures of citizens, or “martyrs”, killed in the violence. 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.

Turkish ministers have taken to media, Twitter and conference calls with investors to insist the state of emergency is aimed exclusively at those associated with the coup, that life for ordinary people won’t be affected and that economic reforms will continue. Despite media speculation, however, he did not sack Fidan.

Turkey is calling on the U.S.to extradite Mr. Gulen.

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Erdogan accuses him of being behind the coup attempt and has requested his extradition from the United States. They include judges, teachers, police and journalists. “Come here and see how serious this is”.