Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Monday, July 18, 2016

Turkey coup attempt: Thousands of police officers suspended


  • 16 minutes ago
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  • From the sectionEurope
A civilian, 2nd left, spits at a member of Turkey armed forces as he is escorted by police for suspected involvement in Friday's attempted coup at the court house in Mugla, a Mediterrenean city of Turkey (July 17, 2016)Image copyrightAP
Image captionAnger greeted this member of the armed forces as he was taken to court in Mugla on Sunday

by Alara Berrak and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Istanbul/Ankara
Turkish officials say that nearly 8,000 police officers have been suspended, reportedly on suspicion of having links to the failed coup attempt at the weekend.
Some 6,000 members of the judiciary and military, including generals, have been detained in connection with the coup.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to purge state bodies of the "virus" that caused the revolt.
The EU's foreign policy chief says the rule of law in Turkey needs protection.
The Turkish government claims cleric Fethullah Gulen was behind the plot.
Mr Gulen lives in the United States and strongly denies any involvement
State media reported on Monday that more than 100 generals and admirals had been detained in raids across the country.
Media captionFethullah Gulen: "There is a possibility it could be a staged coup"
Eight Turkish military officers who fled to Greece by helicopter are appearing in court in the Greek border city of Alexandropouli charged with entering the country illegally.
President Erdogan told a crowd on Sunday that Turkey would consider reinstating the death penalty.
Capital punishment was abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey's bid to join the European Union. Nobody has been executed in the country since 1984.
Military personnel, suspected of being involved in the coup attempt, are escorted by policemen as they arrive at the Justice Palace in Ankara, Turkey, July 18, 2016.Image copyrightREUTERS
Image captionMilitary personnel suspected of involvement were brought to Ankara's Justice Palace on Monday
The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, was speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers and the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, in Brussels, at which the events in Turkey are likely to be high on the agenda.
She said there would be no excuse for any steps that would take Turkey away from the rule of law and that the foreign ministers would be sending a "strong message" on that.
Media captionWhy did the coup in Turkey fail?

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