But following the July 15 coup attempt in which more than 240 people – mostly civilians – were killed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan used a mass rally to declare that if it’s the will of the people to restore capital punishment, he would make it happen.
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At a rally of a reported one million people in Istanbul, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has vowed to reintroduce the death penalty if the people want it.
If the European Union (EU) doesn’t cancel visa regime with Turkey in mid-October, Ankara won’t be able to receive illegal migrants from the EU, TRT Haber news channel reported August 8 citing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Turkey has accused reclusive US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the coup attempt which was led by a rogue faction in the military.
The pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party’s co-leaders, Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag were not invited.
Almost 300 died in events surrounding the July 15 coup attempt, which triggered a massive government crackdown.
Putin, on the other hand, gave his support to Turkey after the July 15 coup attempt and said he stood by the elected government, offering his condolences to the victims of what Erdoğan called the “most heinous” armed coup attempt in modern Turkish history.
Turkey has received criticism for what it did after the coup, where it conducted massive arrest campaigns, detaining thousands of individuals from the military, schools and universities, health services and the media.
“This is something way beyond politics, this is either our freedom or death”, he said, a large Turkish flag over his shoulder and a matching baseball cap on his head.
Erdogan repeatedly said that he saw no difference between terrorist groups such as the PKK, PYD, YPG, and Daesh and USA -based preacher Fetullah Gulen’s FETO.
Before and during the rally, the hashtags #birliktegucluyuz (Together we are strong) and #TekmilletTekyurek (One nation, one heart) were trending on Twitter, with thousands of people reveling in the solidarity on show between the political parties. “If we can further this power, this culture of rapprochement, we will all be able to leave our children a great Turkey”. Erdogan’s goal is to ensure not only that nothing is lost to history, but also that this latest chapter in Turkey’s history will be largely owned by his Islamist supporters. European officials have said that if Turkey brings it back that would shut the door to joining the EU.
Constructed to accommodate crowds of up to a million people, the Yenikapi parade ground overflowed with supporters hoisting banners that read “You are a gift from God, Erdogan” or “Order us to die and we will do it”. Turkey’s parliament is controlled by the political party he co-founded, allowing Erdogan to use the bully pulpit to rubber stamp legislation under the guise of popular support.
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“If our demands our not satisfied then the readmissions will no longer be possible”, Erdogan said. However, Gülen denies the allegations and even condemned the attempted coup.
