Turkey coup arrests hit 6,000 as Erdogan roots out 'virus'

[DFighter]

Image copyrightEPAImage captionFunerals have been taking place for those killed during the coup attempt

Arrests in Turkey after Friday's failed coup have risen to around 6,000, with President Erdogan vowing to purge state bodies of the "virus" that caused it.

At a funeral for one of the victims, Mr Erdogan again blamed US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen for the plot. Mr Gulen strongly denies any involvement.

High-ranking military officers and 2,700 judges are among those held.

Some 265 people died in clashes as the coup failed - many of them civilians and police loyal to the government.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that those behind the plot would pay a heavy price, calling the coup a "gift from God... because this will be a reason to cleanse our army".

He had earlier suggested parliament might consider a proposal to restore the death penalty.

Tens of thousands of Turks partied into the small hours of Sunday on the main squares of key cities to celebrate the failure of the coup.

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Media captionWhy did the coup in Turkey fail? Drama not quite over yet - BBC's Selin Gerit in IstanbulImage copyrightEPA

Emotions are running high as funerals for those killed during the coup plot are held. President Erdogan was among those mourning in Istanbul for the brother of one of his closest advisers.

"My glorious nation has given the best response to the coup plotters," Mr Erdogan said in a televised speech frequently interrupted by chants of "God is Great!" Whenever he made a reference to Fethullah Gulen, the roar of boos would come from the crowd.

Turkey has been through a dramatic 48 hours, on a scale even this country - with a turbulent past of three previous coups and a further two military interventions - had never seen before. And it is not totally over yet.

As more than 6,000 have been detained and the expectation that numbers could rise further, one Twitter user commented "this is an opportunity for the governing party to cleanse out all opposition to the presidential system".

Mr Erdogan's critics wonder if he could he make use of the latest events as leverage to push harder for a constitutional change that would further enhance his powers.

Among the latest arrests to be reported was the commander of Incirlik air base in the south used by US-led coalition jets for raids against the so-called Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Unnamed officials said Gen Bekir Ercan Van and 10 other soldiers had been detained for their role in the coup.

Also on Sunday, more than 50 senior soldiers were detained in the western province of Denizli, including the garrison commander.

Those arrested on Saturday were reported to include Gen Erdal Ozturk, commander of the Third Army; Gen Adem Huduti, commander of the Second Army; and Akin Ozturk, the former Chief of Air Staff.

One of Turkey's most senior judges, Alparslan Altan, has also been taken into custody.

Image copyrightAFPImage captionThousands of soldiers have been rounded up and judges arrested in the aftermath of the failed coupImage copyrightEPAImage captionTurkey has been through a dramatic couple of daysImage copyrightAP

President Erdogan has called on the US to extradite Fethullah Gulen, 75, who heads the popular Hizmet movement and is said to count military chiefs and mid-level bureaucrats among his followers.

Once allies, Mr Erdogan has long accused Mr Gulen and his supporters of plotting against him.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said of any extradition, that Turkey should "present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny".

Mr Gulen has denied any involvement in the coup. He has been in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania for the past 15 years, said: "I don't even know who my followers [in Turkey] are."

Mr Kerry strongly rebuked a Turkish minister who suggested Washington was behind the coup. He said "utterly false" insinuations were "harmful to our bilateral relations".

US President Barack Obama has joined other world leaders in calling for all parties in Turkey to "act within the rule of law".

 

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36818401