Every single day I'm convinced more this was a fake coup orchestrated by Erdogan for the soul purpose of ending the Turkish democracy by imprisoning the Supreme court the Parliament, and the officer core of the Army. It is just too perfect not to have been planned by Erdogan.
begin quote from:
Turkey coup attempt: Erdogan rounds up suspected plotters
| CNN | - |
(CNN)
Two days after a failed military coup, Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan vowed a continued crackdown on those behind it -- and those
perceived to have been involved -- as large crowds heeded his call to
fill the nation's streets.
Turkey coup attempt: Erdogan rounds up suspected plotters
Story highlights
- Erdogan calls for continued protests and arrests
- Turkey reopens the airspace around Incirlik Air Base
(CNN)Two
days after a failed military coup, Turkish President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan vowed a continued crackdown on those behind it -- and those
perceived to have been involved -- as large crowds heeded his call to
fill the nation's streets.
Thousands
of soldiers have been arrested and hundreds of judiciary members
removed since Friday's uprising, which left at least 290 people dead and
more than 1,400 injured in a chaotic night of violence.
Around 6,000 people have been detained and arrests will continue, according to Turkey's foreign ministry.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has vowed that "they will pay a heavy price." Erdogan said that he will remove the "viruses" from all state institutions.
The
arrests include Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, commander of the Incirlik Air
Base, according to the Turkish President's office. The United States
uses the airbase to launch airstrikes on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
An "order of detention" for Col. Ali Yazici, a senior military aide to Erdogan, has also been issued, according to Anadolu.
Eight
Turkish soldiers flew a helicopter to Alexandroupoli, Greece, hours
after the failed coup attempt, where they were arrested and charged with
"illegal entrance" into Greece. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras
said they would be extradited within "15 to 20 days," Erdogan said
Sunday in a speech outside his Istanbul residence.
Clashes
occurred Sunday between security forces and coup plotters resisting
arrest nearly 200 miles south of Ankara at Konya Airbase, a source told
CNN. The government is now in control of the situation, the source said.
Soldiers in the coup attempt surrender Saturday on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge.
Erdogan
attended a funeral on Sunday held for some of those killed during
gunfire -- including the brother of his chief adviser, Mustafa Varank.
"It is not anything ordinary that my young brothers lay under tank pellets; this is a manifest of faith," Erdogan said.
He also said he did not rule out bringing back the death penalty for the coup's perpetrators.
As
the crowd chanted "we want the death penalty," he said, "we can't
ignore the people's request in a democracy -- this is your right."
"This
right has to be evaluated by the appropriate authorities according to
the constitution and a decision can be made," Erdogan said in the
address broadcast live on TV.
He asked supporters to stay on guard.
"You should fill the squares. This isn't a 12-hour operation. We will continue determinedly."
View from the streets
People wave flags in Istanbul's Taksim Square on Saturday in support of the President.
In
a rare show of unity, Turkey's political parties united to denounce
Friday's coup attempt, but it's uncertain how long that solidarity will
last.
Erdogan remains a divisive figure in Turkey. "He's loved and worshiped by a good half of the country," CNN's Gul Tuysuz says. "The other half detests him passionately."
Indeed
there was concern among some opposition figures that the President's
triumphant call to action would only embolden his tightening grip on
Turkey.
"My august nation gave the best answer to the coup plotters," he said Sunday and told his followers to keep up the pressure.
Turkey's attempted coup: By the numbers
• At least 161 civilians killed
• 1,140 people wounded
• 6,000 people arrested
• 2,839 military officers detained
• Nearly 200 top Turkish court officials in custody, including:
• 140 members of the Supreme Court, 48 members of the Council of State
• 11 years: Erdogan's reign as Prime Minister
• 2014: Year that Erdogan ran for President -- and won
• 1,140 people wounded
• 6,000 people arrested
• 2,839 military officers detained
• Nearly 200 top Turkish court officials in custody, including:
• 140 members of the Supreme Court, 48 members of the Council of State
• 11 years: Erdogan's reign as Prime Minister
• 2014: Year that Erdogan ran for President -- and won
The coup attempt comes as a shock to a country more familiar with tackling outside threats such as ISIS and the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
For now, Erdogan has urged pro-government protesters to continue rallying, saying: "That's what ruined their plot.
But even as government leaders declare it's business as usual in Turkey, many people are grappling with the fallout from Friday's bloody uprising.
"Many
people are confused by the President's reaction to this uprising -- by
his calls to have his followers continuously go out into the streets and
create what can only be described as something of a festive
atmosphere," said CNN's Arwa Damon in Istanbul.
"At
the end of the day, this is a country that is also trying to come to
terms with the fact that around 200 of its citizens were just killed."
European
Council President Donald Tusk took to Twitter saying the European Union
will be watching closely. Turkey is not an EU member, but it's a
crucial partner in managing the refugee crisis.
Erdogan blames Gulen
In addition to those detained, Erdogan is demanding the United States arrest or extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom he blamed for the attempt to overthrow the government.
"Twenty
years ago, I clearly stated my support for democracy and I said that
there is no return from democracy in Turkey," Gulen said Saturday. "My
position on democracy is really clear. Any attempts to overthrow the
country is a betrayal to our unity and is treason."
Gulen, who is living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denied he had anything to do with it.
"It could be anything," Gulen told journalists. "I have been away from Turkey for 16 years."
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States hadn't yet
received a formal request from Turkey for Gulen's extradition.
"We
think it's irresponsible to have an accusation of American involvement
when we're simply waiting for their request -- which we're absolutely
prepared to act on if it meets the legal standard," Kerry said.
Tensions with the United States
People flood Taksim Square following the President's call to occupy the streets.
In
a country once promoted to the wider Muslim world as a model of
democratic governance and economic prosperity, the attempted coup was a
shocking shift. The nation plays a crucial role in the fight against
terrorism in the Middle East.
The ramifications of the coup attempt on the NATO ally and U.S. partner in the fight against ISIS remain unclear.
Turkey
has reopened the airspace around Incirlik Air Base, where it allows the
American military to launch operations in the air campaign against
terrorists in Syria and Iraq.
The airbase was closed after the attempted coup and its commander detained for his alleged involvement in the uprising.
The
base is home to the Turkish air force and the U.S. Air Force's 39th Air
Base Wing, which includes about 1,500 American personnel, according to
the base website.
The attempted coup
Military tanks rolled onto the streets of Ankara and Istanbul the night before and soldiers blocked the famous Bosphorus Bridge.
Erdogan supporters capture a Turkish army vehicle after soldiers surrendered Saturday.
The
military's claim of a takeover was read on state broadcaster TRT. The
military said it wanted to maintain democratic order and that the
government had "lost all legitimacy."
But
the coup attempt lost momentum after Erdogan returned from vacation at
the seaside resort of Marmaris. In an interview via FaceTime on CNN
Turk, he appealed to supporters to quash the attempted coup, and they
took to the streets in masses.
By the time he re-emerged after hours of silence, dozens had died.
Most
of those who died were police officers killed in a gunbattle with a
helicopter near the Parliament complex in Ankara, reported NTV, a
Turkish television station. An additional 1,400 people were wounded.
Erdogan
was elected Prime Minister in 2003. Under his rule, Turkey became a
powerhouse in the Middle East. His reign came to an end in 2014, and his
own party's rules prevented him from seeking a fourth term.
But in a bid to maintain an important position in Turkish politics, he ran for President in 2014 -- and won.
The post was largely ceremonial before Erdogan's presidency.
He has tried to change that by altering the constitution to give him more power.
Erdogan remains arguably the most powerful figure in Turkish politics, regardless of title.
No comments:
Post a Comment