Share

Erdogan tightens his grip on power in Turkey

On July 15, Turkish armed forces attempted a coup, which failed.

Advertisement

Erdogan’s decree places the military more firmly under the control of the civilian government, providing Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım the authority to directly communicate with and issue orders to army, navy and air force commanders.

More than 10,000 have been arrested in the crackdown, most of whom are military personnel.

It also announces the discharge of 1,389 military personnel, including Erdogan’s chief military adviser who had been arrested days after the attempted putsch, the Chief of General Staff’s charge d’affaires and the defense minister’s chief secretary.

More than 230 people were killed and almost 2,200 injured in the coup attempt, which Turkish officials have repeatedly said was carried out by FETO, led by Gulen.

The Government also said its Deputy Prime Minister and justice ministers would be appointed to YAS.

Thousands of supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have gathered in the German city of Cologne for a demonstration against the failed July 15 coup in Turkey.

Police estimated about 40,000 descended on Cologne on Sunday to show support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as thousands of others for counter demonstrations.

An estimated three million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, the majority of whom voted for Mr Erdogan’s AKP party in the last Turkish election, according to the Turkish Communities in Germany organisation.

Waving the Turkish flag and chanting “Turkey”, the demonstrators turned the rally site next to the River Rhine into a sea of red as they began the demonstration by singing the Turkish and German national anthems.

Citizens valiantly took to the streets on that night, upon a call by Erdogan, and became the biggest factor in ensuring the failure of the attempted overthrow of a democratically-elected government. He said it was “shameful” some in the West seemed more concerned about the fate of the plotters than in standing with a fellow North Atlantic Treaty Organisation member. Four soldiers were killed by the Kurdish militants on Sunday in two separate incidents, officials said.

He said he would receive the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford, at the Cankaya Palace Monday.

“It’s business as usual here”, he said, without giving his name.

Gulen strongly denies the charges. “But if they don’t the United States will not escape from the dock”.

“There is a mastermind behind him”.

“The message to be sent from the event is that in Turkey, all parties and NGOs want to stand together against the coup and to defend democracy”, added the minister, who was born in Germany.

He said this will continue until the elimination of those involved in the coup.

“If things do not return to normal in the state of emergency then like France we could extend it”, Erdogan said, referring to a similar move in France after a string of attacks there.

Advertisement

The government is now going after Gulen’s network of schools and other institutions overseas.

BBC Online