Two days after a failed military
coup, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on those behind it --
and those perceived to have been involved -- is gathering pace.
In the hours since Friday's uprising
-- which left nearly 200 people dead in a chaotic night of violence --
thousands of soldiers have been arrested and hundreds of judiciary members
removed. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has vowed that "they will pay a heavy price."
A statement released Sunday by the
Turkish Armed Forces said those behind the attempted coup have been
"neutralized."
Around 6,000 people have been
detained so far, Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told the state-run
Anadolu Agency, adding that number is expected to rise.
The arrests include Gen. Bekir Ercan
Van, commander of the Incirlik Air Base, 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 were arrested
after flying a helicopter to Alexandroupoli, Greece, hours after the failed
coup attempt. They were charged with "illegal entrance" into Greece
and are due in court Monday.Soldiers in the coup attempt surrender Saturday on
Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge.
Speaking Sunday at the funeral of
one of those killed in the uprising, Erdogan 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.
"This virus will be cleaned
from all departments of the government," he added.
View from the street.
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.
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
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.
"And for the next week we need
to continue this solidarity, we must keep up these meetings."
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."
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's 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 for extradition
from Turkey.
"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 told CNN.
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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
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.
Of the nearly 200 deaths, most were
police officers killed in a gunbattle with a helicopter near the Parliament
complex in Ankara, reported NTV, a Turkish television station. An additional
1,140 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.