European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said today that the rule of law needed to be protected for the sake of the country.
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Talking to supporters in Istanbul after attending funerals for the victims of the failed coup he said the government will speak to opposition in this regard to come to a decision.
The GNAT said some 3,000 plotters have been arrested and over 100 of them were “neutralized”.
He also confirmed an incident at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport, where police fired warning shots at rebels who were resisting arrest.
According to the Milliyet daily newspaper, the confrontation occurred when the police tried to detain the commander of the gendarmerie over the coup.
In the aftermath of the clashes, the police detained all the gendarmerie staff, including the commander.
“We will continue to cleanse the virus from all state institutions, because this virus has spread”.
Turkey widened a crackdown on suspected supporters of a failed military coup on Sunday, taking the number of people rounded up in the armed forces and judiciary to 6,000, and the government said it was in control of the country and economy.
Mr Ayrault added that the attempted coup had raised doubts about the “reliability” of Turkey in the fight against Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (Isil), though the Pentagon announced that Turkey would reopen its Incirlik air base, used by the US-led coalition for raids on Isil, after closing its airspace to military planes on Saturday.
Even before the coup attempt was over, Erdogan promised a purge of the armed forces. “The US is behind the coup attempt”. The Dogan agency reported Monday that 10 of them had now been remanded in custody by the courts.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu “requested the immediate surrender of the eight traitor soldiers”, adding “they will expedite the extradition process”.
In an unusual show of unity, Turkey’s four main political parties released a joint declaration during an extraordinary parliamentary meeting, denouncing the coup attempt.
The attache, Mikail Gullu, had been en route to Amsterdam, the report said.
People protest against the coup, outside the Parliament in Ankara, Turkey, Saturday, July 16, 2016.
The Turkish president’s military aide, Colonel Ali Yazici, was among those who were arrested on suspicion of plotting against the government on behalf of Mr Erdogan’s arch-rival, the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.
On Saturday, Erdogan said: “I repeat my call on the USA and President (Barack Obama), give this person back to Turkey”.
France also warned Erdogan that the dramatic coup did not mean he had “carte blanche” to silence his opponents.
The government’s announcement that 6,000 people had been detained – including three top generals and hundreds of soldiers – suggested a wide conspiracy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called Erdogan to express his wish for a “speedy restoration of strong constitutional order”. And Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yildirim, said that life was returning to normal and urged supporters to remain on the streets to show their support for the government.
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“Does one need evidence to prove the existence of the Sun? The US must extradite him”, he said.
