Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month-long emergency in the country after a failed military coup on July 15. Erdogan said emergency measures will help the government crack down on supporters of the coup. Turkey has detained or suspended around 60,000 members of the military, administration, judiciary, and others since the attempted coup. Erdogan also said the government’s sweep was ongoing, and that foreign countries could have had a hand in the incident. He rejected any ideas that the country’s democracy had come under threat and that he was becoming authoritarian, Reuters reported.
On Wednesday, Turkey banned its academics from travelling abroad. The move came after Turkish leaders asked the United States to extradite US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, one of the people believed to have been behind the attempted coup. Up to 95 academics were also removed from their posts at Istanbul University, and many others suspended or detained.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has asked for evidence, not allegations, against Gülen in order to extradite him. “We have a very strict set of requirements that have to be met for an extradition to take place… Please don’t send us allegations, send us evidence. We need to have evidence which we can then make a judgment about,” said Kerry. He added that Washington was watching Turkey’s crackdown with caution, reported AP, but reiterated US support for the country’s elected government.
At least 290 people were reported to have died in the failed coup.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!