Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three-month state of emergency that gives the state extra powers to pass laws as the authorities pursue individuals suspected of attempting to topple his government.
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Erdogan has accused Gulen of being behind the coup and said on Monday that his government will formally request the cleric’s extradition within days.
In parallel talks, U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter and his Turkish counterpart discussed the importance of Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, the Pentagon said.
“A person of this kind can easily be extradited on grounds of suspicion”, Kalin said. He has denied any involvement in the abortive coup. “So this is sufficient ground”.
“If and when we receive a request, we will evaluate that request based on the extradition treaty that was signed by the USA and Turkey more than 30 years ago”, said Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr. Turkish media, in rapid-fire reports, said the Ministry of Education fired 15,200 people across the country; the Interior Ministry 8,777 employees; and Turkey’s Board of Higher Education requested the resignation of 1,577 university deans – akin to dismissing them.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the leader of the Republican People’s Party, one of the opposition groups, said in an interview Tuesday that he first needs to see a draft of the changes and will support them if they improve Turkey’s democracy. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency says courts have ordered 85 generals and admirals jailed pending trial over their roles in the coup attempt.
While he recognized the need to apprehend the coup plotters, Kerry said: “We caution against a reach that goes beyond that”.
It alleged the coup conspirators were loyal to moderate cleric Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who lives in exile in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, and espouses a philosophy that blends a mystical form of Islam with democracy. The move allows Erdogan to act more quickly against those suspected of being involved in the plot.
On Russia, Erdogan suggested that the two pilots who shot down a Russian jet on the Syrian-Turkish border in November may have been under orders from the coup plotters.
Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 as part of a series of human rights reforms undertaken for its membership bid for the European Union. Several European officials have said such a move would be the end of Turkey’s attempts to join.
Crowds at various rallies across the country have repeatedly called for the death penalty for the plotters.
Erdogan has vowed to clean the “virus” responsible for the plot from all state institutions.
Parts of the Turkish military had launched a coup on Friday night which was struck down a few hours later.
Esra Kokcu, accompanied by relatives, was visiting the site where her cousin, Selmani Terzi, was severely wounded and lost a leg in the attack.
Europe looked on with alarm, led by French and German diplomats. “But we also firmly urge the government of Turkey to maintain calm and stability throughout the country”, he said in Brussels on Monday.
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But U.S. officials have been rattled by the extent of Turkey’s response to the failed coup, and say the relationship going forward will depend on how Erdogan pursues the cleric, Fethullah Gulen, and how far the crackdown extends.
