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Erdoğan clamps down after crushing attempted military coup Erdoğan clamps down after crushing attempted military coup
(about 1 hour later)
Turkey’s hardline president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, unleashed a brutal purge of his enemies in the army and judiciary on Saturday after heading off an attempted military coup.Turkey’s hardline president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, unleashed a brutal purge of his enemies in the army and judiciary on Saturday after heading off an attempted military coup.
Erdoğan’s office put the death toll in street clashes and airborne dogfights between rebels and loyalists at 265. About 2,800 soldiers were arrested in a day of extraordinary drama that saw the putsch ruthlessly put down.Erdoğan’s office put the death toll in street clashes and airborne dogfights between rebels and loyalists at 265. About 2,800 soldiers were arrested in a day of extraordinary drama that saw the putsch ruthlessly put down.
More than 2,700 judges were summarily dismissed for their alleged links to the coup’s leaders, while warrants were issued for the arrest of 140 supreme court members.
Related: Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan demands US arrest exiled cleric Gülen – liveRelated: Turkey coup attempt: Erdoğan demands US arrest exiled cleric Gülen – live
The situation was stabilised after Erdoğan’s supporters flooded the streets in the small hours of Saturday morning, swarming around the tanks and troops that seemed to have seized control of Turkey on Friday night. Erdoğan had described the coup attempt as “treason” and urged his people to help defeat it. More than 2,700 judges were summarily dismissed for their alleged links to the coup’s leaders, while warrants were issued for the arrest of 140 supreme court members. The identity of the plotters remains unclear, but Erdoğan pointed the finger at Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen who lives in exile in the United States.
The rebels, a faction of the army, initially seized airports, bridges, TV stations and military headquarters, before attacking the Turkish parliament, leaving the building charred and damaged. In a televised speech, Erdoğan called on Barack Obama to extradite Gülen. “Mr President, I told you myself, either deport or hand over to us this person who lives in 400 acres of land in Pennsylvania,” he said. “I told you that he was engaged in coup plots but I was not listened to. Now again today after the coup I say it again.”
US secretary of state John Kerry said he fully supported the Turkish administration, but hoped Erdoğan’s government would not exacerbate the situation. “We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen,” he said. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey … to present us with any legitimate evidence.”
In a rare interview in the US, Gülen accused Erdoğan of staging the coup. “I don’t believe that the world believes the accusations made by President Erdoğan,” he said. “There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against Gülen’s supporters].”
The attempted coup began on Friday night when a faction of the army seized airports, bridges, TV stations and military headquarters, before attacking the Turkish parliament, leaving the building charred and damaged.
But Erdoğan fought back after managing to send a message to supporters via a video-call with a private broadcaster, prompting thousands to wrest back state control with the help of the police and loyalists in the army.But Erdoğan fought back after managing to send a message to supporters via a video-call with a private broadcaster, prompting thousands to wrest back state control with the help of the police and loyalists in the army.
“Turkey has a democratically elected government and president,” Erdoğan said as his supporters began to turn the tideon Saturday. “We are in charge and will continue exercising our powers until the end.” Erdoğan’s Islamist-leaning government ordered the mass arrests after 100 rebels were also killed during clashes. Erdoğan said those caught were guilty of an “act of treason” and would “pay a heavyprice”. Erdoğan’s supporters flooded the streets in the small hours of Saturday morning, swarming around the tanks and troops that seemed to have seized control of Turkey. “Turkey has a democratically elected government and president,” Erdoğan said as his supporters began to turn the tide. “We are in charge and will continue exercising our powers until the end.”
His prime minister, Binali Yildirim, later proposed changing the constitution to let plotters be executed. Erdoğan’s Islamist-leaning government ordered the mass arrests after 100 rebels were also killed during clashes. Erdoğan said those caught were guilty of an “act of treason” and would “pay a heavy price”. His prime minister, Binali Yildirim, later proposed changing the constitution so that the plotters could be executed.
Boris Johnson, the new British foreign secretary, said it was “crucial that we [the UK] support the democratic institutions of Turkey”. He also urged British citizens in the country, or planning to go there, to follow Foreign Office travel advice which stated on Saturday that people should not leave their homes or hotels, and should avoid public places. Eight Turkish army personnel believed to be officers fled to Greece by helicopter, claiming political asylum. But the Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, said he had asked Greece to extradite the servicemen, and had been told they would be returned.
Johnson will discuss the coup at talks in Brussels on Sunday night with Federica Mogherini, high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy. On Monday he will attend the EU foreign affairs council, where the agenda will be topped by Turkey, the terrorist attack in Nice and Britain’s exit from the EU. There are around 50,000 British holidaymakers in Turkey and many faced disruption when British Airways cancelled all its flights to the country. A party of 41 schoolchildren from Sutton Coldfield were stranded at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport during the coup.
Observers in Turkey feared that the day’s events would give Erdoğan the momentum to push through changes to the Turkish political system that would give him sweeping presidential powers. The Foreign Office warned Britons to “avoid public places” in Ankara and Istanbul. Boris Johnson, the new foreign secretary, said it was “crucial that we support the democratic institutions of Turkey”. Johnson will discuss the coup at talks in Brussels on Sunday night with Federica Mogherini, high representative of the EU for foreign affairs and security policy. On Monday he will attend the EU foreign affairs council, where the agenda will be topped by Turkey, the terrorist attack in Nice and Britain’s exit from the EU.
The moves left the international community fearing yet more instability in the Middle East. Any further unrest could change the region’s dynamic, with Turkey’s current government a key player – and previously a rare beacon of relative stability – in the Middle East. A Nato member, Turkey hosts US military bases, is a major backer of rebel factions in the Syrian civil war, and a key partner in Europe’s attempt to stop migration flows to Europe. In an indication of wider anxiety about Turkey’s direction,
US secretary of state John Kerry said he fully supported the Turkish administration, but hoped Erdoğan’s government would not exacerbate the situation. He said in a statement: “There was obviously an unfortunate loss of life so we extend our sympathies to all of the families of the victims and our hope that … a constitutional and a legal process will deal appropriately with coup plotters.”
Related: Aftermath of Turkey coup attempt will be bloody and repressiveRelated: Aftermath of Turkey coup attempt will be bloody and repressive
The identity of the plotters remains unclear. They claimed to fight for secularism, but were opposed by Turkey’s main secular parties. They were also disowned by the military high command. Erdoğan accused them of belonging to the Gülenist movement, referring to the dissident group headed by exiled Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen. Observers in Turkey feared that the day’s events would give Erdoğan the momentum to push through changes to the Turkish political system that would give him sweeping presidential powers.
In a televised speech, Erdoğan said the US should extradite Gülen. “I say if we are strategic partners you should bring about our request,” he said. Turkey’s main secular opposition parties and military high command both disowned the plotters, who claimed they were fighting for secularism. Gülen’s supporters also said they were not involved.
Kerry said: “We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr. Gulen. And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey … to present us with any legitimate evidence.” The moves left the international community fearing yet more instability in the Middle East. Any further unrest could change the region’s dynamic, with Turkey’s current government a key player – and previously a rare beacon of relative stability – in the Middle East. A Nato member, Turkey hosts US military bases, is a major backer of rebel factions in the Syrian civil war, and a key partner in Europe’s attempt to stop migration flows to Europe.
In turn, Gülen accused Erdoğan of staging the coup. “I don’t believe that the world believes the accusations made by President Erdoğan,” he said. “There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against the Gülenists].”
Eight Turkish army officers fled to Greece by helicopter, claiming political asylum. But Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said he had asked Greece to extradite the servicemen, and had been told they would be returned.