Turkey’s government said last Friday’s attempted coup was organized by followers of US -based preacher Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as a “parallel state”.
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Turkey has shut down more than 2,000 institutions linked to the cleric Fethullah Gulen – the president’s longtime rival, who has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999.
The Erdogan government claimed the coup attempt was carried out by the organisation of preacher Fethullah Gulen, whose influence runs deep in the Turkish education and legal systems.
Also Saturday, newly released video from the night of the coup attempt shows renegade soldiers arriving at an Istanbul social club and rounding up top air force commanders attending the wedding ceremony of a commander’s daughter.
Muhammet Sait Gulen was taken into custody in Erzurum, eastern Turkey, and will bo Ankara, the report said.
Turkey has repeatedly demanded that the U.S. extradite Gulen, and has said it will submit an official extradition request for him within days.
Hasan Karakus, the pilot who bombed the special forces command in Ankara and killed 42 police officers, was also caught in Turkey, said the official.
The foundations targeted include, for example, the Association of Judges and Prosecutors, a secular group that criticised a recent judicial law drafted by Mr Erdogan’s Islamist-rooted AK Party.
Amid a sea of red flags, banners bore slogans such as “We defend the republic!”
Erdogan rejects accusations that freedoms and rights are being infringed in Turkey and has urged supporters to continue rallies on the streets, saying such demonstrations are needed to defend democracy.
Ankara-Turkey will strongly adhere to democratic principles and rule of law, Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Saturday, referring to the government’s crackdown in the aftermath of a failed military coup.
More than 13,000 people, including almost 9,000 soldiers, 2,100 judges and prosecutors and 1,485 police, have been detained in Turkey’s post-rebellion crackdown, according to the president.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told a TV channel that there is no need for the regiment. It said this would facilitate a full investigation into the coup attempt.
“Some European colleagues think this is a Pokemon game, this coup attempt”, said Omer Celik, Turkey’s minister for EU affairs.
Pro Kurdish supporters gather during a rally against the military coup and the state of emergency.
Sunday’s mass event, expected to be boosted by free public transport in the city of 15 million, will seek to soothe divisions after the shock of the 15 July putsch and the subsequent government crackdown.
The chief of the military General Staff, Hulusi Akar, who was held hostage by the plotters on the night of July 15, condemned the plotters on Sunday as “cowards in uniform” who had greatly harmed the nation and the army.
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A three-month state of emergency declaration issued Thursday grants President Recep Tayyip Erdogan new powers to implement the detention measures.
