Turkish government turns attention to dissidents in light of unsuccessful coup, arresting thousands
After President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan managed to rally the Turkish people against the army's attempt to overthrow his regime, a massive streak of arrests 'cleansing operation' has been carried out; thousands of people have been arrested and thousands of judges have been dismissed under suspicion of plotting against Erdoğan.
Following the failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the Turkish government has accelerated its crackdown on those allegly responsible, with Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag saying Sunday that 6,000 people had been detained in the investigation, including three of the country's top generals and hundreds of soldiers.
In addition to those mentioned by Bozdag, dozens of arrest warrants have been issued for judges and prosecutors deemed o be government opponents. The government has also dismissed nearly 3,000 judges and prosecutors from their posts, while conspirators charged with attempting to overthrow the government await trial.
"The cleansing (operation) is continuing," Bozdag said on television, stating that "Some 6,000 detentions have taken place."
The botched coup, which saw warplanes fly over key government installations and tanks roll up in major cities, ended hours lafter it began, when loyal government forces regained control of the military and civilians took to the streets in support of Erdoğan.
Chanting, dancing and waving flags, tens of thousands of Turks marched through the streets into the early hours Sunday in half a dozen cities. Rather than toppling him, the attempted coup that left some 265 dead and 1,440 wounded appears to have bolstered Erdoğan's popularity and grip on power.
The Yeni Safak newspaper used the headline "Traitors of the country" while the Hurriyet newspaper declared "Democracy's victory."
"Just a small group from Turkish armed forces stood up against our government ... but we, the Turkish nation, stand together and repulse it back," said Gozde Kurt, a 16-year-old student at a Sunday rally in Istanbul.
Gen. Umit Dunda said the dead included at least 104 conspirators, describing them as mainly officers from the Air Force, the military police and armored units.
Officials claimed the conspirators were loyal to moderate US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdoğan has often accused of attempting to overthrow the government. Gulen, a staunch democracy advocate who lives in exile in Pennsylvania, is a former Erdoğan ally turned bitter foe who has been put on trial in absentia in Turkey. He strongly denies the charges.
Funeral ceremonies and prayers for those killed in the coup were held in Ankara and Istanbul on Sunday. Prayers were read simultaneously from Turkey's 85,000 mosques at noon to honor those who died in an attempted military coup.
Speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, A government official said that autopsies have been completed on 165 people, including 115 whose bodies have been reclaimed by their families.
Forty policemen, including twin brothers, were killed when the renegade soldiers attacked a special forces station in Ankara.
The victims also included Erdoğan campaign manager Erol Olcak and his 16-year old son Abdullah, killed when renegade soldiers opened fire on protesters at the Bosporus bridge in Istanbul Friday night. The elder brother of one of Erdoğan's chief advisers was also killed by gunfire while protesting the coup in front of the Istanbul Municipality building. Ilhan Varank died during clashes that lasted five hours.
Security forces on Sunday rounded up 52 more military officers for alleged coup links. The state news agency Anadolu said a detention order has been issued for 110 judges and prosecutors in Istanbul alone for their alleged involvement with the group reportedly responsible for the failed coup. The suspects are being charged with "membership in an armed terrorist organization" and "attempting to overthrow the government of the Turkish Republic using force and violence or attempting to completely or partially hinder its function." Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the perpetrators of Friday's failed coup "will receive every punishment they deserve."
The coup attempt began late Friday with tanks rolling into the streets of the capital, Ankara, and Istanbul as Erdoğan was on vacation.
Explosions and gunfire erupted throughout the night. It quickly became clear, however, that the military was not united in the effort to overthrow the government. In a dramatic iPhone interview broadcast on TV, Erdoğan urged supporters into the streets to confront the troops and tanks, and forces loyal to the government began reasserting control.
In an unusual show of unity, Turkey's four main political parties released a joint declaration denouncing the coup attempt, as did Turkey's NATO allies, including US President Barack Obama.
Before the weekend's chaos, Turkey—a NATO member and key Western ally in the fight against ISIS—had been wracked by political turmoil that critics blamed on Erdoğan's increasingly authoritarian rule. He has shaken up the government, cracked down on dissidents, restricted the news media and renewed fighting with Kurdish rebels.
Erdoğan called on the United States to extradite Gulen but at a news conference Saturday in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, Gulen strongly denied any role in or knowledge of the coup.
"As someone who suffered under multiple military coups during the past five decades, it is especially insulting to be accused of having any link to such an attempt," said Gulen.
US Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would entertain an extradition request for Gulen, but Turkey would have to present "legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny."
Flights resumed late Saturday into Istanbul's Ataturk Airport after being halted for nearly 24 hours but Turkish Airlines said Sunday it had to cancel 196 flights because of a backlog of traffic.
