Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced that the country will be placed under a “state of emergency” for three months, in response to the failed coup.
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The latest to be accused?
“More than ever Turkey needs freedom of speech, public and open debate, as advocated by its strong university sector, committed to internationally recognised university values, the principles of academic freedom, free expression and freedom of association”. A state of emergency will, in theory, allow the Erdogan government to tighten its grip even further.
Mr Erdogan said the pro-government death toll in the botched coup was 246.
As of today, 15,200 public personnel working at our ministry’s central and rural offices have been suspended from their duties, and an investigation has been launched regarding these people.
Around 50,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended or detained since the coup attempt, stirring tensions across the country of 80 million which borders Syria’s chaos.
The government says a US -based Muslim cleric was behind the coup.
But the president returned to the capital last night for the first time since the coup attempt, a Turkish official said.
If lawmakers discuss reinstating the death penalty, “I as president will approve any decision that comes out of the parliament”, he said.
About 7,000 members of the military and judiciary have been arrested, and some 9,000 police officers sacked, likely in an effort to simultaneously purge supporters of Gulen and critics of the government.
The Turkish leader told CNN that his country’s formal request for extradition would soon be submitted.
Mr. Erdogan blames Fethullah Gulen, a retired imam who lives in Pennsylvania, for the attempted coup and wants him extradited from the United States.
“At the United States request, Turkey repeatedly extradited terrorists to the USA, so that the U.S. must take this into account”, the administration said.
“I don’t think we have come to the end of it yet”, he had said.
For his part, Mr Gulen says claims he was behind the coup attempt are “ridiculous”.
“Turkey calls all our partners and allies to take all possible measures to prevent the activities of this group (on) their soil”, it said.
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“The focus tomorrow will be on how we can deal with the Gülenist terror organisation in a more effective way”.
