A gathering organized by the Turkish Association of Canada got together in front of the Turkish Embassy in Ottawa on Saturday, July 16, 2016 to condemn the actions of those responsible for the military coup attempt.
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A faction of the armed forces is accused of trying to seize power.
“The people have taken to the streets and voiced their support for democracy”, the acting head of the military, Gen. Umit Dundar, said at a news conference Saturday.
The official said there has been no request for evacuations.
Merkel told reporters at the chancellery in Berlin on Saturday that it was “tragic that so many people paid for this coup attempt with their lives” and urged an end to the bloodshed.
“Since I do not know these people I can not speak to their potential involvement in the attack”, Gulen said through an interpreter.
She said “Germany stands on the side of all of those in Turkey who defend democracy and the rule of law”. “Turkey displayed a historic cooperation between the government and the people”. Gulen has said the videotape was doctored.
In an usual show of unity, Turkey’s four main political parties released a joint declaration during an extraordinary parliamentary meeting Saturday, denouncing the coup attempt and claiming that any moves against the people or parliament will be met “with the iron will of the Turkish Grand National Assembly resisting them”.
Supporters started 1,000 schools in more than 100 countries, including about 150 taxpayer-funded charter schools throughout the U.S. In Turkey, they have run universities, hospitals, charities, a bank and a large media empire with newspapers and radio and TV stations. At least one bomb hit the parliament complex.
Sporadic gunfire was still being reported in some areas by morning.
By late Saturday afternoon, flights had resumed into Istanbul’s worldwide airport after being halted for almost 24 hours.
Authorities also began a major crackdown in the judiciary over suspected links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, removing from their posts and ordering the detention of almost 3000 prosecutors and judges, including from top courts.
Erdogan, an often combative figure, has been accused of increasingly autocratic conduct even though his government was democratically elected and he commands deep support among Turkey’s pious Muslim class. The military has long seen itself as the guarantor of secular government in Turkey, and many in its ranks have bristled at both his tightening grip on power and the growing Islamic influence under Erdogan. He also was key to an agreement with the European Union that provides for the safe, regulated passage of Syrian civilians between Turkey and Europe, which has received a massive influx of refugees.
TRT and CNN Turk were both temporarily shut down by the coup plotters, who announced that they were attempting to takeover the government in the name of democracy and human rights.
“We call for a swift return to Turkey’s constitutional order”, he added.
Turkey’s military staged three coups between 1960 and 1980 and pressured Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, a pious mentor of Erdogan, out of power in 1997.
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The Turkish leader’s audience chanted, demanding “the execution of Fethullah”.
