Ankara, Aug 9: Thousands gathered in Turkish city of Istanbul to protest the July 15 failed military coup, a media report said on Sunday.
Nearly 300 died in events surrounding the July 15 coup attempt, which triggered a massive government crackdown.
Thousands of alleged supporters of a US based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen — who denied any role in fomenting the coup — were detained or dismissed from government jobs.
“It is the Turkish parliament that will decide the death penalty… I declare it in advance, I will approve the decision made by the parliament,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the rally, reports BBC.
Western nations have been critical of the government’s response to the coup. The European Union, which Turkey has applied to join, refuses to accept capital punishment in member states.
Speaking at the Democracy and Martyrs’ Rally in Istanbul’s Yenikapi district, Erdogan said: “Our presence today upsets our enemies just like it did on the morning of July 16.
“On that night there were people who risked their lives to stop the coup and they filled the streets. History will remember names of our martyrs… in golden letters,” Anadolu quoted Erdogan as saying.
The “Democracy and Martyrs’ Rally” is the climax of three weeks of nightly demonstrations by Erdogan’s supporters around the country.
Speaking ahead of Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told the rally that Fethullah Gulen would be brought to Turkey and made to pay the price for the coup attempt.
“Let all of you know, the leader of this terrorist group will come to Turkey and pay for what he did,” Yildirim said.
Yildirim said that July 16 coup attempt was Turkey’s second War of Independence, adding, “Every coup which does not kill us, makes us stronger. Just like here and now.”
The leader of the main secularist opposition party, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, told the rally that the coup had opened a “new door of compromise” in the country’s politics, “there is a new Turkey after July 15”, the Republican People’s Party leader said.
In a rare address to a public rally, the head of Turkey’s armed forces, Hulusi Akar, said “traitors” behind the attempted coup would be punished in the harshest way, and thanked civilians for their role in defeating the uprising.
The crackdown in Turkey has seen tens of thousands of public sector workers suspended or dismissed, with many having their passports cancelled. There has also been a massive reshuffle of the military.
Gulen had been a close ally of Erdogan until a bitter split between his movement and the party of the President three years ago.
Turkey has listed Gulen’s movement as a terrorist organisation.
Turkish President backs return of death penalty
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he would approve the return of the death penalty if it was backed by parliament and the public.
He made the remarks during the “Democracy and Martyrs’ Rally” on Sunday evening in Istanbul against the July 15 failed coup attempt, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
“If parliament accepts the reintroduction of death penalty, I will accept it,” he told the crowd, adding that the death penalty exists in the US, Japan and “many other countries”.
“If the people want death penalty, I think the political parties will also accept it,” Hurriyet Daily News quoted the President as saying.
The death penalty existed in Turkey until 1984.
Erdogan also said the state would be cleansed of all supporters of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who is blamed by the Turkish government for the attempted uprising.
He has denied any involvement.
Religious figures and leaders of two of Turkey’s three opposition parties attended the rally, the BBC reported.
The Kurdish party was not invited.
A total of 240 people were killed in events that led to the failed coup attempt, which triggered a government crackdown. Over 2,190 others were injured.
About 18,000 alleged supporters of Gulen have been arrested or dismissed from government jobs.
–IANS
