Ankara: Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag on Saturday announced that a total of 754, mostly military officers, were detained over charges of an attempted military coup. This doubled the figure at 336 announced by sources from the Interior Ministry earlier on Saturday, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Anadolu Agency said those who were detained were members of the so-called pro-Gulenist terror organisation. It was believed that there are high-ranking officers among the detained. English roadcaster CNN Turk said four of them were generals and 29 of them were colonels.
Justice Minister Bozdag had informed that state prosecutors in all 81 provinces have already launched investigations over the coup attempt that started on Friday night, saying “Detentions are mostly taken place in Ankara and Istanbul but there are other detentions in many other places of Turkey.”
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared an attempted military coup against his government as an “act of treason” and vowed to his supporters that the coup plotters will pay for the chaos. After landing in Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport earlier on Saturday, Erdogen in a televised speech said “This is a movement of treason and an insurgency. Let me tell you that they will pay a heavy price for this treason.” “There is a government in power and a president in power elected by the people. We are on duty and we will continue to conduct our duty until the very end,” state-run Anadolu News Agency quoted the President as saying.
But Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who lives in exile in the US state of Pennsylvania and who once was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has condemned the ateempted military coup attempt and denied any involvement in it.
“I condemn, in the strongest terms, the attempted military coup in Turkey,” he said in an emailed statement. “The government should be won through a process of free and fair elections, not force. I pray to God for Turkey, for Turkish citizens and for all those currently in Turkey that this situation is resolved peacefully and quickly. 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. I categorically deny such accusations,” he said.
Gulen has for years lived as a recluse at the Golden Generation Worship and Retreat Centre, a compound in Saylorsburg, in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. His group, Alliance for Shared Values, describes itself as “an umbrella non-profit organisation serving as a voice for civic, culture and service organisations” across the country. His movement promotes a version of Islam that embraces science, education and interfaith dialogue, which has earned him millions of followers but also drawn the suspicion of many in Turkey’s establishment, writes The New York Times. His movement has been feared by some for its ability to mobilise considerable resources and for its influence among decision-makers.
A chaotic night began late Friday with reports of soldiers trying to take control of bridges and key areas in major cities. Later, army helicopters began airstrikes and shelled key locations in the capital, Ankara. So far, 130 soldiers were detained in the coup attempt. Conflicting media reports differed in the death toll figures. BBC, CNN and the Guardian said 42 people, mostly civilians were killed while Xinhua news agency have put the toll at 60. Bombs struck near the Turkish Grand Assembly. Airborne shelling at several locations included the ruling AK Party headquarters, the presidential complex and the General Staff, Anadolu News Agency said.
Meanwhile, the Indian embassy in Ankara has advised all Indian nationals in Turkey to avoid public places and remain indoors, tweeted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup. He also shared emergency contact numbers for Indian nationals In Ankara (+905303142203) and in Istanbul (+905305671095).
