The rebellion, which saw warplanes firing on key government installations and tanks rolling into major cities, was quashed by loyal government forces and masses of civilians who took to the streets.
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He compared the coup to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, saying that it was clear that Gulen was behind the coup, just as the United States knew al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was behind the 9/11 attacks.
Since the coup was put down, Erdogan has said enemies of the state still threatened the country and has urged Turks to take to the streets every evening until Friday to show their support for the government. More than 1,500 people were wounded. “The two people in question seem to have been the brains behind the coup attempt”, an official said.
Among those detained are at least 118 generals and admirals, accounting for a third of the general-rank command of the Turkish military, according to Turkish state broadcaster TRT.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said that the situation is under the control of the official government.
At nightfall, thousands of flag-waving people rallied in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, Ankara’s Kizilay Square and elsewhere.
Though the identity and motives of the military rebels remained unclear Saturday – Erdogan offered no evidence for his claim that they represented an Islamist movement with which he has feuded – their statement spoke of restoring democracy, and it would be reasonable to suppose they objected to Erdogan’s concentration of power.
On Tuesday, foreign media were taken on a tour of government buildings that were targeted by F-16 air strikes, including the headquarters of the Turkish special forces police where 47 officers were killed. The Turkish military has been regularly hitting suspected PKK hideouts and position in Iraq since previous year, but Wednesday’s strikes were the first since the July 15 botched takeover attempt by a faction within the armed forces, in which several F-16 pilots were involved. They searched the Air Force Academy premises and residences in Istanbul, Anadolu reported.
The EU official overseeing Turkey’s bid to join, Johannes Hahn, expressed concern over Turkey’s post-coup purge, raising suspicions that a list of people to arrest had been prepared well in advance of the political upheaval. Erdogan is accusing Gulen of orchestrating the failed coup – never mind that Gulen denounced the coup early on and denies any connection. He has also referred to Friday’s attempted coup as a “gift from God” that will help him “cleanse our army”.
“All of these (judiciary officials) did not necessarily have first-degree knowledge about this pro-junta initiative”.
However that transpires, worldwide investors in the country will clearly be worrying about the risks of doing business in the country and may adopt a more cautious approach that sees them reduce their exposure to Turkish assets, which would exert downward pressure on the lira. “Therefore, anyone connected to this group will be exposed”.
They described Kose as a follower of Fethullah Gulen, a US-based cleric whose network Erdogan has blamed for carrying out the coup attempt.
Turkey is demanding that Washington extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since the late 1990s and who the government has long accused of being behind a “parallel terrorist organization”. Gulen has strongly denied the accusations.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the issue in a phone call Tuesday with U.S. President Barack Obama, and his spokesman said the government was preparing a formal extradition request for Gulen.
Amnesty called on authorities to protect press freedoms while they investigate the failed coup.
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Kerry added that Turkey must “uphold the highest standards for the country’s democratic institutions and the rule of law”.
