6,000 arrested in Turkish crackdown after failed coup
Mon Jul 18, 2016 11:41:am World
2.6K By Buchi Obichie
At least 6,000 soldiers and civilians have been arrested in connection with the failed coup attempt in Turkey.
In a sweeping crackdown ordered by President Erdogan, senior military officers, rank-and-file soldeirs, and thousands of Judges have been arrested.
This comes as the President vowed to "clean all state institutions of the virus" purportedly festered by Fethullah Gullen, the leader of the Hizmet movement, who Erdogan blames for the coup.
Erdogan has called on the US to extradite Gullen back to Turkey, from Pennsylvania, where the Cleric currently resides.
Speaking at a funeral on Sunday for some of those killed in the coup, Erdogan said: "They may have tanks but we have our faith. We will not leave the squares.
"I said this yesterday, (Saturday) the people's demand for democracy cannot be swept aside. This is your right."
As the President spoke defiantly, mourners chanted: "Fethullah will come and pay," and "we want the death penalty."
In the midst of this, a senior Government official disclosed to Reuters, that a few groups of plotters were still holding out against the Government in Istanbul.
However, he said that the remaining renegades would be arrested shortly, as the Government was back in control of the country.
In a Sky TV interview, Turkey's Deputy Chief of mission in the United Kingdom, Cem Isik, also refused to rule out the death penalty being brought back for the plotters.
"This is treason, this is treachery. There will be investigations into how this happened and who did it.
"They will be tried and they will receive their punishment," he said.
Pressed on whether those responsible would be executed, he said, "The people are furious, they have had tanks pointed at them, they have had warplanes pointed at them, they have had helicopters pointed at them. Police officers, civilians, they were all killed. Emotions are running high and they have made those calls.
"Now it is up to any Parliament which represents the people, and of course the Turkish parliament is no different, to listen to those calls."
According to the Turkish Government, the death toll from the failed coup has now risen to more than 290 people.
In a sweeping crackdown ordered by President Erdogan, senior military officers, rank-and-file soldeirs, and thousands of Judges have been arrested.
This comes as the President vowed to "clean all state institutions of the virus" purportedly festered by Fethullah Gullen, the leader of the Hizmet movement, who Erdogan blames for the coup.
Erdogan has called on the US to extradite Gullen back to Turkey, from Pennsylvania, where the Cleric currently resides.
Speaking at a funeral on Sunday for some of those killed in the coup, Erdogan said: "They may have tanks but we have our faith. We will not leave the squares.
"I said this yesterday, (Saturday) the people's demand for democracy cannot be swept aside. This is your right."
As the President spoke defiantly, mourners chanted: "Fethullah will come and pay," and "we want the death penalty."
In the midst of this, a senior Government official disclosed to Reuters, that a few groups of plotters were still holding out against the Government in Istanbul.
However, he said that the remaining renegades would be arrested shortly, as the Government was back in control of the country.
In a Sky TV interview, Turkey's Deputy Chief of mission in the United Kingdom, Cem Isik, also refused to rule out the death penalty being brought back for the plotters.
"This is treason, this is treachery. There will be investigations into how this happened and who did it.
"They will be tried and they will receive their punishment," he said.
Pressed on whether those responsible would be executed, he said, "The people are furious, they have had tanks pointed at them, they have had warplanes pointed at them, they have had helicopters pointed at them. Police officers, civilians, they were all killed. Emotions are running high and they have made those calls.
"Now it is up to any Parliament which represents the people, and of course the Turkish parliament is no different, to listen to those calls."
According to the Turkish Government, the death toll from the failed coup has now risen to more than 290 people.
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