Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday demanded two life sentences plus 1,900 years in prison for US -based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara has blamed for masterminding a failed coup bid last month, local media said.
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The state-run agency Anadolou says they have obtained warrants to detain 120 company executives as part of the investigation into last month’s attempted military coup. “But, my valuable citizens, we won’t act in the spirit of vengeance”, Yildirim said during his weekly address to his ruling party’s legislators.
Turky’s prime minister appeared to step back from calls for the reintroduction of the death penalty for those involved in last month’s coup, saying on Tuesday that there were “tougher ways to die” than execution.
“We will remove terror as a problem in Turkey, specifically FETO and the PKK”, the prime minister said, referring to USA -based cleric Fethullah Gulen, and the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had suggested Turkey could bring back capital punishment – abolished in 2004 as part of the country’s reforms to join the European Union – in the wake of the July 15 failed coup aimed at ousting him from power. Gulen denies the allegations.
On Tuesday, Turkish prosecutors requested two life sentences and a further 1,900 years in prison for Gulen. “That is an impartial and fair trial”.
Last month’s failed coup attempt that the Turkish government believes perpetrated by members of Fathullah Terrorist Organisation (FETO) left 240 people dead and almost 2,200 injured.
Yildirim said, “Turkish justice will bring terrorist organisations to account for our martyrs”.
Since the deadly coup attempt, Turkish government has been clearing the state institutions off FETO members.
“Death penalty is death for one time”.
Since July 15, Turkey’s crackdown on his supporters has intensified with tens of thousands of people from the military, judiciary, civil service and education sector dismissed from their jobs or detained.
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He vowed this month to cut off the revenues of businesses linked to Gulen, describing them as “nests of terrorism” and promising no mercy in rooting them out.
