USA -based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose followers Turkey blames for a failed coup, said on Sunday that he would obey any extradition ruling from the United States but said that President Tayyip Erdogan had staged the putsch. But they must take a firm stand with Erdogan in the wake of the failed coup.
Advertisement
“No country can become an European Union member state if it introduces [the] death penalty”, Mogherini said on Monday. “But we also firmly urge the government of Turkey to maintain calm and stability throughout the country”, U.S. Secretary of State Kerry told a news briefing in Brussels where he attended a gathering of European counterparts.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said: “We can not accept a military dictatorship but we also have to be careful that the Turkish authorities do not put in place a political system which turns away from democracy … If they accept to discuss it, as the president, I will approve any decision to come out of the parliament”. Gulen encouraged his many followers to support Erdogan, who in turn helped raise the profile of Gulen, who runs a vast network of Islamic schools worldwide, including more than 100 charter schools in the United States. Annual leave was suspended for more than 3 million civil servants, while close to 3,000 judges and prosecutors have been suspended.
“If the AKP is ready, we are in for the death penalty”, Bahceli said.
“We can not delay this anymore because in this country, those who launch a coup will have to pay the price for it”, he said. There’s no gunfire, no sonic booms, but there’s also a somberness, a sadness, prayers for the people who died on Friday after the festivities last night, the celebrations of safeguarding democracy.
“We have a mutual agreement of extradition of criminals”, the president noted, demanding a reciprocity from Washington over extradition as Ankara had done so as a “strategic partner”. His voice cracked and he wept as he spoke with reporters after a Cabinet meeting and repeated a question his grandson had put to him: “Why are they killing people?”
Referring to Gulen, Kerry called on Turkey to furnish evidence “that withstands scrutiny”, rather than allegations.
During pro-government rallies over the weekend following the failed coup, calls for the restoration the death penalty for putsch plotters could be heard from the crowd.
On Monday morning, the Turkish Air Force Academy located near Ataturk Airport was raided by a large number of security forces, with four high-ranking soldiers reportedly taken away over their links to the coup attempt that broke out on Friday night.
Turkey’s military command has been dealt “a heavy blow in terms of organisation” by the attempted coup, but is still functioning in coordination with the intelligence agency, police and the government, the official told Reuters.
Yildirim said Turkey has sent four files to the United States on Gulen, who denies any involvement and has condemned the coup attempt.
The government accuses Gulen of trying to create a “parallel structure” in the police, judiciary, media and armed forces, aimed at taking over the state, a charge the cleric denies.
Advertisement
“Let me be very clear”, she said. “The lists are available, which indicates it was prepared and to be used at a certain stage”, Hahn said.
