According to Turkish officials, the attempted coup was well planned and orchestrated, an early indication of the scale of the internal opposition the Turkish state regards as aligned against it.
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Capital punishment was abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.
It was an announcement delivered as the local clock approached midnight. Reporters’ licenses have been taken, university employees asked to resign, soldiers detained and staffers laid off since Friday, when a contigent of the military tried to take over in Ankara and Istanbul.
Erdogan has accused Gulen of being the mastermind behind Friday’s military coup attempt, which killed more than 230 people and briefly sent the president into hiding.
He says it is to eradicate any remaining support for coup conspirators, after last weekend’s chaos.
“The objective of state of emergency is to be able to take most efficient steps to remove threat as soon as possible”, he said.
Steinmeier said it was important that “the rule of law, a sense of proportion and commensurability are preserved”. “Quite on the contrary, it has the goal of strengthening and protecting these values”.
It also told universities that academics who are already overseas on work or study missions should return home “within the shortest possible time”. “We condemn this coup and we are clear about our desire to see democracy sustained and flourish in Turkey”.
Security sources said the document showed that the coup plotters were planning to seize power on July 16, take control of all airports, ports, and customs offices and to impose a curfew across the country.
He said he did not want to link the USA use of Turkey’s Incirlik airbase with Ankara’s request for the extradition of his foe Fethullah Gulen, a former Erdogan ally who lives in exile in the US and who is accused by the president of standing behind the coup attempt.
Gulen, who has many supporters in Turkey and overseas, denies the charge.
Gulen released a statement about the extradition request that said Erdogan “will go to any length necessary to solidify his power and persecute his critics”.
Arrests and the sacking of public servants is continuing, but there has been minimal public outcry.
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But EU foreign ministers continue to call on Turkey to abide by the norms of the Convention, including the abolition of death penalty, when punishing participants of the coup attempt. “We want to make certain that as the response to the coup is implemented that it fully respects the democracy that we are supporting”.
