Erdogan has accused Gulen of being behind the coup and said on Monday that his government will formally request the cleric’s extradition within days. Turkey has stepped up pressure on Washington to extradite him, sending several “dossiers” it says are packed with evidence about his alleged involvement.
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Electricity supplies to Incirlik air base, where the USA air force has attack jets and more than 50 nuclear bombs, had still not been restored yesterday.
Turkey has demanded their return to stand trial for alleged participation in the coup attempt.
With Erdogan arresting or detaining tens of thousands of military personnel, police, academics, and government officials – moves that have alarmed the Obama administration and other foreign governments – the Turkish leader is turning a tool that helped him stay in power against his foes.
Pictures of the destroyed Ankara police headquarters bombed by helicopters, other damaged buildings, and Erdogan breaking down in tears at the funeral of an old friend killed during the chaos appear to demonstrate that the abortive coup was just that – and not an elaborate conspiracy.
How the Turkish government deals with the aftermath of the July 15 attempted military coup could have lasting implications for US-Turkish relations, according to some US foreign policy experts.
On Tuesday, the government suspended 15,200 state education employees and demanded the resignation of nearly 1,600 deans from private and state universities over alleged links to Gulen. The government says the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, is behind the failed uprising, an accusation he has denied.
It is unclear whether the judiciary will have enough manpower for such a vast number of coup-linked legal proceedings in addition to regular cases.
At stake is Turkey’s long-held hope to become part of the European Union, and Mogherini made clear that if Turkey imposed the death penalty it would be a deal breaker.
“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has Turkey+to+End+EU+Accession+Talks%2C+Germany+Warns” voiced her concern over the possibility that Turkey brings it back, warning such a move might put an end to its bid to join. The Turkish lira was down 1.5 percent against the dollar at 2.9710. Officials claimed the need to protect the safety of Turkish airspace until all military aircraft, which may have been used during the attempted coup, are accounted for. Fitch’s next review of Turkey’s sovereign rating is due on August 19.
Turkey will remove the movement of US -based cleric Fethullah Gulen “by its roots” so it can never betray the Turkish people again, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday, vowing to furnish USA authorities with evidence of his wrongdoing.
“Our banks, our bourses are working”, he said.
A state of emergency has never been declared nationwide although it was declared in Turkey’s restive, Kurdish-dominated southeast between 1987 and 2002. On Monday, the board of the Turkish Journalist Associations condemned raids on media establishments, restrictions to access and mob violence against journalists in the wake of the coup.
The death toll from the coup reportedly includes 24 coup plotters and 208 government loyalists, which Prime Minster Binali Yildarim referred to as “martyrs”.
In an address to the nation late Wednesday, Erdogan announced a cabinet decision to seek additional powers, saying the state of emergency would give the government the tools to rid the military of the “virus” of subversion.
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A rally organized by the opposition secular Republican People’s Party, (CHP), is planned for the weekend – because the opposition actually supported Erdogan against the coup, the government’s response to the rally is widely seen as a test of its commitment to democratic freedoms.
