Turkey: More Than 6,000 Arrested In Wake Of Coup Attempt
At least 6,000 people have been arrested across Turkey over alleged ties to Friday’s coup attempt, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said Sunday.
The government previously said around 3,000 military personnel had been arrested and last night a senior prosecutor ordered the arrest of nearly 2,750 judges accused of links to exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen.
“The legal process will continue,” Bozdag said on state-run broadcaster TRT. “This will be the most extensive case ever seen in Turkey’s history.”
He promised that those involved in the failed coup would “pay the price”.
Turkey has blamed the attempted coup on followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of a long-standing campaign to overthrow the government through supporters within the Turkish state, particularly the military, police and judiciary.
Bozdag repeated President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s call for the US to extradite Gulen.
“Protecting [Gulen] will weaken the US’s position and damage its reputation,” he said. “I presume the US will not back someone who carried out these acts against Turkey.”
The coup saw 265 people killed around the country.