“Declaring state of emergency aims to take steps for eliminating the risk posed against our citizens’ rights and freedoms, democracy, state of law in our country, in the most efficient and rapid way”, Erdogan said.
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In a televised address on Wednesday, Erdogan said the decision was made following a meeting with members of the national security council.
It comes five days after an insurrection was launched by some military units before it was eventually quashed by loyalist protesters and security forces.
The top USA diplomat also said that the US supported the Turkish government’s putdown of the coup attempt.
Erdogan has called on the USA to extradite Fetullah Gulen, who he believes is at least partly responsible for the coup – a charge Gulen denies. U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the status of Gulen in a telephone call with Erdogan on Tuesday, the White House said, urging Ankara to show restraint as it pursues those responsible for the coup attempt.
The state of emergency has been declared under Article 120 of the Turkish Constitution.
A former ally-turned critic of Erdogan, he suggested the president staged it as an excuse for a crackdown after a steady accumulation of control during 14 years in power.
“I don’t think we have come to the end of it yet”, he had said.
The education ministry said the schools were under investigation for “crimes against the constitutional order and the running of that order”, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Last Friday, a military faction failed in a coup attempt.
At the height of the abortive coup, the rebel pilots of two F-16 fighter jets had Erdogan’s plane in their sights as he returned to Istanbul from a holiday on the coast. The U.S.it needs to see the evidence first. Turkey has already announced the firing of 15,200 teachers at state institutions, demanded the resignations of 1,577 university deans and halted all foreign assignments for state-employed academics.
Wednesday night the government is also shutting down over 500 schools.
Authorities have rounded up about 9,000 people – including 115 generals, 350 officers, 4,800 other military personnel and 60 military high school students – for alleged involvement in the coup attempt.
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“Nothing is going to happen if I don’t take money home during three months”, Ceylan said.
