Erdogan said the new powers would allow the government to rid the military of the “virus” of subversion, blaming the coup attempt on a US -based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen.
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Turks have been taken aback by the speed and scope of the arrests, firings and suspensions across the country since the failed coup.
He addressed the nation live on television after meeting all day with his national security council and the cabinet.
More than 50,000 state employees have been rounded up, sacked or suspended in the days since the coup attempt. “Did they not arrest people in very high numbers?”
According to the Turkish constitution, a state of emergency is allowed up to six months. The emergency rule was gradually lifted by 2002. He said it would be used to go after “rogue” elements within the state and that there would have been “carnage in the streets” had the military coup succeeded.
“This measure is in no way against democracy, the law and freedoms”, said Erdogan after announcing the state of emergency.
“Only provable involvement in illegal acts, not suspected political leanings, should trigger governmental action”, Mr Steinmeier said. Some 246 people were killed resisting the attempted coup, according to the government.
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The state of emergency would allow the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in passing new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms as they deem necessary. There, governors were able to impose curfews, call in military forces to suppress demonstration, and issue search warrants. Erdogan also warned that unnamed “other countries” may have played a role in the coup. The lieutenant was one of about 30 soldiers said to be involved in the hotel attack in the resort of Marmais. He identified “structural and individual” intelligence failures during the coup attempt and also said that work was underway to restructure the army, NTV reported. Greece says it will examine their asylum requests quickly.
