Crackdown in Turkey after military’s botched coup
TURKEY is cracking down on alleged plotters and government opponents as part of a major “clean-up operation” after the failed coup. WARNING: GRAPHIC
Attempted military coup has failed
2,800 soldiers arrested, 104 ‘coup plotters’ killed
2,745 judges across the country dismissed
Exiled cleric says president could have staged coup
Eight Turkish soldiers involved in coup seeking asylum in Greece
- Travel advice for Australians
TURKEY’S justice minister says 6000 people have been detained in a government crackdown on alleged coup plotters and government opponents, and there will be more.
“Now the clean-up operations are continuing,” Bekir Bozdag said in a television interview. “We have around 6000 people detained. The number will increase above 6000.”
Bozdag also said he was confident that the United States would return Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen to Turkey.
The Turkish president has blamed Gulen and his followers for the failed military coup on Friday night, but Gulen has denied any involvement in or knowledge about the attempted coup.
The US says it will look at any evidence Turkey has to offer against Gulen, and judge accordingly.
“The United States would weaken itself by protecting him, it would harm its reputation,” said Bozdag. “I don’t think that at this hour, the United States would protect someone who carried out this act against Turkey.”
The Turkish government has accelerated its crackdown after the botched coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, issuing dozens of arrest warrants for judges and prosecutors and detaining military officers.
At least three of the country’s top generals have been detained, alongside almost 3000 soldiers. The government has also dismissed 2700 judges and prosecutors from their posts while investigators were preparing court cases to send the conspirators to trial on charges of attempting to overthrow the government.
The botched coup, which saw warplanes fly over key government installations and tanks roll up in major cities briefly, ended hours later when loyal government forces including military and police regained control of the military and civilians took to the streets in support of Erdogan.
At least 265 people were killed and 1440 were wounded after explosions and gunfire erupted in Ankara, Istanbul. Government officials say at least 104 conspirators were killed.
Gulen, a Muslim cleric living in self-imposed exile in the United States, says he has no involvement in an attempted coup in Turkey — saying it was “possible” the coup was staged by the Turkish President.
Erdogan accused Gulen of being behind Friday’s bloody coup attempt that has killed at least 265 people, and urged the United States to extradite to Turkey the “man who lives in Pennsylvania.”
In a rare interview on Saturday with a small group of journalists at his residence in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, Gulen denied the accusations and shifted the blame back onto Erdogan.
“I don’t believe that the world believes the accusations made by President ErdoÄŸan,” Gülen said.
“There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against the Gülenists].
“Some leaders stage ... false suicide attacks to strengthen their hand, such people may come up with such scenarios. As a believer, I cannot make false accusations.”
Gulen — who promotes a mystical form of Islam with staunch advocacy of democracy, education, science and interfaith dialogue — told The New York Times he didn’t know who his followers were, when asked if any of his backers were involved in the coup attempt.
“Since I do not know these individuals, I cannot speak of their potential involvement,” he said.
Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States would assist Turkey in the investigation of the failed coup and invited Ankara to share any evidence it had against Gulen.
It comes as thousands took to the streets of Istanbul in support of the Government.
Turkish authorities detained one of the military’s top generals and a member of the nation’s highest court, General Adem Huduti.
Eight Turkish military personnel sought asylum in Greece. “They were in Istanbul with the order to transport the wounded. They didn’t know what was happening exactly,” Greek lawyer Ilia Marinaki told reporters. “On Saturday morning, when policemen started shooting against them, they decided to leave.”
The US issued a no-fly zone for American planes over Turkey until further notice.
Acting army chief General Umit Dundar said the coup has been foiled.
Dundar said the coup attempt “was rejected by chain of command immediately” and 104 men responsible have since been killed.
The Turkish prime minister Binali Yildirim addressed the media on Saturday calling the attempted coup a black stain on Turkish democracy and labelling those responsible as terrorists.
Turkey’s state-run news agency says a top body overseeing judges and prosecutors has dismissed 2,745 judges across the country. Anadolu Agency says the emergency meeting of the Judges and Prosecutors High Council was held Saturday, hours after Turkish forces quashed the military uprising.
The report said the meeting was called to discuss disciplinary measures against members suspected of links to the movement led by the US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government says the attempted coup was carried out by a clique within the military loyal to Gulen’s movement.
A Blackhawk helicopter carrying eight Turkish military personnel landed in the Greek city of Alexandroupolis earlier Saturday, as passengers on board involved in the coup asked for asylum.
The Greek government says a Turkish Blackhawk helicopter will be returned to Turkey “as soon as possible” but it will examine the asylum demand made by eight military personnel who were arrested after landing Saturday.
Spokeswoman Olga Gerovasili says: “The government is in contact with the Turkish authorities for ... the return of the military helicopter as soon as possible.” As for the eight military passengers, “we will follow the procedures of international law. However, we give very serious considerations to the fact that (the Turkish military men) are accused, in their country, of violating the constitutional order and trying to overthrow democracy,” she added.
The soldiers attempted to overthrow the government late on Friday using tanks and helicopters and blocking bridges and taking over some media outlets.
A government official said most of those arrested were lower ranked soldiers, adding that special forces were securing the chief of staff headquarters.
Earlier the news agency reported that military chief of staff Gen. Hulusi Akar was rescued in an operation launched at an air base in the outskirts of Ankara. It said the general was being taken to a safe location.
Broadcaster CNN-Turk said that Akar was taken hostage at military headquarters in Ankara and transported by helicopter to Akincilar Air Base.
WARNING: Graphic images below
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his government is in charge of the country and acknowledged “my people” fought against a coup attempt and took the tanks back.
Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said security forces have defeated coup plotters in several places, including police and government buildings, according to the state-run Anadolu news agency.
Mr Erdogan appeared at the airport in Istanbul following a night of chaos and violence in Turkey.
As the uprising was squashed, images of soldiers being whipped and beaten began to circulate.
Streets in Ankara and Istanbul were transformed into warzones as dozens of tanks were seen, some ramming through vehicles, explosions were heard and soldiers opened fire on protesters supporting Mr Erdogan in the streets.
Reporters at CNN Turk were forced off the air at gunpoint by soldiers, although they have now returned.
Anadolu said that at the Etimesgut armoured units training command, in the outskirts of Ankara, some soldiers who took part in the coup attempt were arrested by fellow officers or soldiers and handed over to police.
Government officials said the coup appeared to have failed as Turks took to the streets overnight to confront troops attempting to take over the country.
However, around the same time Mr Erdogan made his speech, jets bombed near Turkey’s presidential palace in Ankara early Saturday. Plumes of black smoke were seen rising over the Bestepe district where the palace was located, NTV television reported.
It followed an earlier bombing of the Turkey parliament.
CNN-Turk quoted Prime Minister Binali Yildirim as saying that commander of Turkey’s 1st Army, Gen. Unit Dundar, had been appointed acting chief of military staff.
COUP ATTEMPT AN ACT OF ‘TREASON’
Addressing thousands of flag-waving supporters outside Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport on Saturday morning, Erdogan told a crowd assembled there: “They have pointed the people’s guns against the people. The president, whom 52 per cent of the people brought to power, is in charge.
“This government brought to power by the people, is in charge. They won’t succeed as long as we stand against them by risking everything.”
He said his people had taken the tanks back.
Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported a military helicopter used by coup plotters was shot down.
The helicopter, which was reportedly used to attack satellite station Turksat, was brought down in the Golbasi district, on the outskirts of Ankara.
Dozens of soldiers in Istanbul were also pictured on CNN-Turk with their hands up, appearing to give themselves up to government forces on Bosporus Bridge.
In an earlier appearance Mr Erdogan blasted the coup attempt as “treason” after a night of violence.
Mr Erdogan has put the blame on supporters of his arch-foe, US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, in defiant remarks after flying back to Istanbul.
“What is being perpetrated is a treason and a rebellion. They will pay a heavy price for this act of treason,” Erdogan said.
Dramatic video of #Turkey parliament being allegedly bombed as speaker condemns coup pic.twitter.com/PXXZ2pY7FE >@intlspectator #TurkeyCoup
— Calestous Juma (@calestous) July 16, 2016
The president said his hotel in the Aegean coast resort of Marmaris was bombed after he left. But he remained defiant, vowing: “We will not leave our country to occupiers.”
A statement released by the Gulenist movement associated with the reclusive Islamic preacher Gulen, 75, has denied any involvement, saying it was committed to democracy and was opposed to any military intervention.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said more than 130 people had been arrested over the coup attempt. “Things are getting better every minute,” he said.
He said he had ordered the “annihilitation” of military planes used by coup plotters. He said military jets had taken off from an air base in Eskisehir, east of the capital Ankara.
Troops loyal to the government have moved to crush the coup attempt, arresting some 130 anti-government forces. A helicopter was flying over the area where the parliament is located and shots were being fired.
A source at the presidency told AP on condition of anonymity that 13 military officers who had earlier tried to forcibly enter the presidential palace were among those arrested.
Earlier Mr Erdogan urged people to gather in public squares and airports to support his government and Mr Yildirim called on them to remain in the streets as a sign of support against coup plotters.
Meanwhile the state-run Andadolu Agency is citing unnamed military sources saying the coup leader was former military legal adviser Colonel Muharrem Kose, who was dismissed from his position recently.
According to AP, the agency says Kose, who headed the military’s legal advisory department, was dismissed from the position a short time ago. The agency says other officers involved include Colonel Mehmet Oguz Akkus, Maj. Erkan Agin and Lt. Colonel Dogan Uysal.
President Erdogan said his general secretary was abducted by coup makers and there was no information on the chief of the military staff.
According to transcripts of the president’s remarks provided by his office, Erdogan said that he arrived in Istanbul from the holiday resort of Marmaris, which was also been bombed after he left there.
He says: “Those who drive around in tanks will have to go back to where they came from. ... The most important thing right now is that millions of Turkish citizens are on the streets at 4.30am.”
He said the coup makers “are a minority within the military.”
According to Erdogan, “Turkey has a democratically elected government and president. We are in charge and we will continue exercising our powers until the end. We will not abandon our country to these invaders. It will end well.”
Parliament Speaker Ismail Kahraman said a bomb hit one corner of a public relations building inside the parliament complex, injuring some police officers.
He said there were no fatalities and that all legislators were safe at a parliamentary shelter.
Meanwhile in Istanbul, an official at the president’s office said more than 50 military officers had been arrested in Istanbul and large crowds had carried out multiple citizen arrests.
Turkish TV channels were broadcasting scenes of soldiers being escorted away by policemen.
An official at Haydarpasa Numune Hospital in the Uskudar district of Istanbul told AP they had admitted at least 150 wounded.
The official refused to comment whether there were fatalities. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorised to speak to the media.
Earlier, NTV reported that six dead were brought to the same facility.
The chaos capped a period of political turmoil in Turkey which critics blamed on Mr Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule, which has included a government shake-up, a crackdown on dissidents and opposition media and renewed conflict in the mainly Kurdish areas of the southeast.
Turkey, a NATO member, is a key partner in US-led efforts to defeat the Islamic State group, and has allowed American jets to use its Incirlik air base to fly missions against the extremists in nearby Syria and Iraq. A coup against the democratically elected government could make it difficult for the United States to continue to co-operate with Turkey.
US President Barack Obama urged all sides in Turkey to support the democratically elected government. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and called for respect for democracy.
PRESIDENT EMERGES
President Erdogan appeared before crowds of supporters at Istanbul’s main Ataturk airport in the early hours of Saturday morning (local time), after what officials said had been a coup attempt by a faction within the armed forces.
Turkish authorities said an attempted coup had been fended off by government forces, but reports of fighting and explosions continued on Saturday morning in Ankara and Istanbul. Thirteen soldiers were arrested near the presidential palace in Ankara, and another 50 in Istanbul, in connection with the coup attempt, broadcaster NTV reported.
Prime Minister Binali Yidirim said the situation was under control, and that army head Hulusi Akar, remained in control of the military and was not part of the coup.
Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan İstanbul'da. Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan'ı havalimanında mahşeri bir kalabalık karşılıyor. pic.twitter.com/MLrvAv9lyU
— ANADOLU AJANSI (@anadoluajansi) July 16, 2016
A NIGHT OF VIOLENCE
Earlier two large explosions were heard near Taksim square in Istanbul, where police and military were exchanging fire. The blasts were accompanied by the screech of fighter jets.
Anadolu Agency reported the Turkish parliament had been hit by a bomb and 17 police officers were killed in a helicopter attack on police special forces headquarters on the outskirts of Ankara.
Pro-government protesters were reportedly shot by the military, with CNN Turk reporting three wounded on the Bosphorus Bridge. TV footage showed people running for cover as shots rang out.
Footage shows #Turkish army helicopter disperse people with gunfire in Istanbul. pic.twitter.com/GnO4yDQoFe
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) July 15, 2016
Reuters reported tanks opened fire near the Turkish parliament building, and AFP reported Turkish F-16s shot down a helicopter carrying “coup plotters”.
“The power in the country has been seized in its entirety,” said a military statement read on NTV television earlier in the evening, without giving further details. The military’s website was not immediately accessible.
It said the move had been made “in order to ensure and restore constitutional order, democracy, human rights and freedoms and let the supremacy law in the country prevail, to restore order which was disrupted”.
“All our international agreements and commitments retain their validity. We hope our good relations will continue with all countries in the world.”
The Turkish military group called itself the “Peace at Home Council”.
WHO IS FETHULLAH GULEN?
A lawyer for the Turkish government said “there are indications of direct involvement” in the coup attempt of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who now lives in a tiny Pennsylvania town in the Pocono Mountains.
Robert Amsterdam said in a statement Friday evening that he and his firm “have attempted repeatedly to warn the US government of the threat posed” by Fethullah Gulen and his movement.
He says that according to Turkish intelligence sources, “there are signs that Gulen is working closely with certain members of military leadership against the elected civilian government.”
But the president of a group that promotes Gulen’s ideas denied the charges.
Y Alp Aslandogan of the New York-based Alliance for Shared Values told AP: “we categorically deny such accusations and find them to be highly irresponsible.”
Earlier in the evening, the alliance said, “we condemn any military intervention in (the) domestic politics of Turkey”.
Gulen was once a close ally of Erdogan but the two fell out in recent years, as the president became suspicious of the so-called Gulenist movement’s powerful presence in Turkish society, including the media, police and judiciary.
The preacher moved to the United States in 1999, before he was charged with treason in his native country.
He has since led a secluded life in Pennsylvania, declining interviews and rarely making public appearances.
The power struggle between the two foes came to a head in late 2013 after judicial officials thought to be close to Gulen brought corruption charges that directly implicated some of Erdogan’s inner circle, including his son Bilal.
Erdogan launched a series of counter-attacks, purging hundreds of army officers, including top generals, shutting down schools operated by Gulen’s movement, Hizmet, and firing hundreds of police officers.
He has also gone after newspapers believed to be sympathetic to his rival, firing their editors or shutting them down.
Turkish authorities have accused the preacher of seeking to establish “a state within a state” in Turkey, but his movement insists he is committed to democratic reform and interfaith dialogue.
OFFICIALS SAY COUP IS OVER
Turkish officials said Saturday morning the government had appeared to have repelled an attempted military coup following a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire across the capital that left at least 17 dead, according to state-run media.
President Erdogan, in an interview over Facetime with the CNN Turk station, dismissed the military action as ‘‘an attempt at an uprising by a minority within our armed forces”.
His office declined to disclose his whereabouts, saying only that he was in a secure location.
Turks took to the streets of cities across the country waving national flags throughout the attempted coup to show their support for the government.
By Saturday morning, a top Turkish official said the coup attempt appeared to have been repelled.
The senior official told The Associated Press that all government officials were in charge of their offices. The official requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
It came after Turkish media reports cited MIT, the national intelligence agency, as saying the coup had been defeated.
The MIT website was not immediately accessible from Turkey. MIT spokesman Nuh Yilmaz said that Gen. Hulusi Akar, the military chief of staff, was back in control.
Mr Yilmaz said “Gen. Akar is back on top of his duties”. “Everything is returning to normal,” he added.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told NTV television: “The military commanders have made it clear that the coup plotters violated the chain of command ... The people have shown that they stand in solidarity with democracy and the elected government.”
TRAVEL ADVICE FOR AUSTRALIANS
DFAT has urged Australians in Turkey to remain indoors, avoid unnecessary travel and to avoid protests. Australians unable to contact friends and family in Turkey have been advised to contact the Consular Emergency Centre on 1300 555 135 or +61 2 6261 3305.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she had spoken with Ambassador James Larsen in Turkey to assess what was happening in the highly fluid situation.
“Australians in Turkey should be vigilant, monitor media, follow the direction of local authorities and advise friends and family in Australia that they are safe.” Ms Bishop said travel advice for Turkey had been updated to reflect the unfolding developments although the overall level of advice had not changed.
For Turkey generally, the advice is to exercise a high degree of caution and to reconsider travelling to the capital Ankara or to Istanbul.
Ms Bishop said those in Australia concerned about friends of family in Turkey should first try to contact them directly.
If that didn’t work and there were still concerns, people could call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 24-hour Consular Emergency still Centre on 1 300 555 135, or, if calling from overseas +61 2 6261 3305.
A spokesman for the Turkish Consulate General in Melbourne said the situation unfolding in Turkey “was a coup attempt to overthrow the democratically-elected government”.
“This attempt was foiled by the Turkish people in unity and solidarity,” the spokesman said.
“Our president and government are in charge. Turkish Armed Forces was not involved in the coup attempt in its entirety. It was conducted by a clique within the Armed Forces and received a well-deserved response from our nation.”
EARLIER
Television pictures showed tanks deployed outside Ataturk airport in Istanbul. Reports said that flights into the airport had been halted.
In a bizarre Facetime interview, Mr ErdoÄŸan denounced the attempt by a “minority” inside the army. “I certainly believe that coup plotters will not succeed,” Mr Erdogan told CNN Turk television.
“I urge the Turkish people to convene at public squares and airports. I never believed in a power higher than the power of the people.”
Mr Erdogan said he was still president and Turkey’s commander in chief, promising that plotters would pay a “very heavy price”. A presidential source said Erdogan was in a secure location as per government protocol.
MSNBC reported Mr Erdogan was in a plane that had been refused landing at Istanbul and was trying to seek asylum in Germany, according to US defence officials.
NBC subsequently reported that Mr Erdogan’s asylum request had been rejected by the Germans, and he was thought to be flying to London.
Shortly after Mr Erdogan’s statement, a strong explosion was heard in the Turkish capital and sustained gunfire could be heard on live television broadcasts as thousands of protesters, some yelling “shoulder to shoulder against the coup”, poured onto the streets.
Turkish social media users reported military helicopters had fired two missiles at the headquarters of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).
Turkey’s state-run news agency reported military helicopters also attacked the headquarters of TURKSAT satellite station on the outskirts of Ankara and the Ankara Police headquarters.
Dozen of tanks were seen moving toward a palace used by the prime minister and deputy prime ministers. A civilian car tried to stop one of the tanks, but it rammed through the vehicle as those in the car escaped.
UNBELIEVABLE CRAZY FOOTAGE #Video #Turkey army tanks run over cars in middle of the roads in #Istanbul..!!!! pic.twitter.com/Bte7mKeDjl
— Moëz BHAR (@moezbhar) July 15, 2016
At around 1:30am local time, Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said effective units from the chief of general staff’s office, the Turkish armed forces and the police were responding to the attempted coup.
Mr Ala said they were responding to “gangs who have taken cover in certain locations”. He spoke by telephone to NTV television and also encouraged Turkish citizens to “fearlessly go out and support our security forces”.
“We think it would be right for them to go out to the airports, to the streets, especially to the main arteries. As long as they do that this gang’s attempts ... they will be defeated no matter what.” he said.
“This is a gang that considers nothing sacred, not the people or the nation. They’re taking certain actions.”
Ankara'da az önce canlı yayında olanlar; pic.twitter.com/0lIaEqAxgs
— Aydın Cingöz (@AydinCingoz) July 15, 2016
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan FaceTimes with TV station, says uprising will be unsuccessful https://t.co/MOl43YZhRP
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 15, 2016
Çekmeköy'de "Darbeye karşı omuz omuza" sloganlarıyla toplanılıyor. @haritaci70 pic.twitter.com/efDeWZQ9dK
— 140journos (@140journos) July 15, 2016
AN ATTACK AGAINST DEMOCRACY
Presidential sources earlier told AFP: “This is an attack against Turkish democracy. A group within the Armed Forces has made an attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government outside the chain of command.
“The statement made on behalf of the Armed Forces wasn’t authorised by the military command. We urge the world to stand in solidarity with the Turkish people.”
The state-run Anadolu news agency reported the country’s top general was taken hostage at the military headquarters in the capital Ankara after an attempt to bring down the government.
“General Hulusi Akar has been taken hostage by a group in the military who attempted an uprising,” the agency said citing “credible sources”.
However, Sky News reported the state broadcaster had been stormed by the military and staff have been asked to hand in their mobile phones.
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have reportedly been restricted.
Earlier, Turkey’s prime minister said a group within Turkey’s military had engaged in what appeared to be an attempted coup.
Binali Yildirim told NTV television: “It is correct that there was an attempt.”
Mr Yildirim didn’t provide details, but said Turkey would never allow any “initiative that would interrupt democracy”.
“Those who are in this illegal act will pay the highest price,” he added, saying it would not be correct to describe the move as a “coup”.
Earlier, military jets were heard flying over the capital, Ankara, and there were reports of vehicles blocking two major bridges in Istanbul.
Media reports said ambulances were seen in front of the Turkey’s military headquarters.
“We are focusing on the possibility of an attempt (coup),” Mr Yildirim said.
“There was an illegal act by a group within the military that was acting out of the chain of military command. Our people should know that we will not allow any activity that would harm democracy.”
NTV is reporting that helicopters are also flying over headquarters in Ankara.
“There are certain groups who took the arms trusted to them by the state and pointed them toward state employees,” Yildirim said. “We shall determine soon who they are. Our security forces have acted against these groups.”
The Dogan news agency says one-way traffic on the Bosporus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges were blocked. Video footage showed the bridge being blocked by military vehicles.
Turkish security forces on Friday partially shut down the two bridges across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul as military jets were heard flying low over Ankara, reports and AFP correspondents said.
The Bosphorus and Fatih bridges were closed by the gendarmerie — a branch of the Turkish military dedicated to internal security — for traffic travelling from Asia to Europe, NTV television said.
WORLD REACTS
US Secretary of State John Kerry said he was still catching up with fast-moving events in Turkey, but he said that however events play out, he hoped that Turkey would be able to resolve the crisis while preserving peace, stability and a respect for “continuity.”
Mr Kerry said while it would be “inappropriate” to comment on developments, he expressed hope that the key ally and strategically important member of the coalition fighting the Islamic State would remain at peace.
In a joint press conference with Mr Kerry, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Turkey to avoid all “bloodshed” as troops were on the streets of the country’s major cities Friday amid reports of an attempted coup by the military.
Mr Lavrov said that “problems in Turkey need to be resolved in accordance with the constitution”.
European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged “restraint”.
“In constant contact with EU Delegation in Ankara & Brussels from Mongolia. Call for restraint and respect for democratic institutions #Turkey,” she tweeted from a regional summit in Ulan Bator.
Brussels will be watching with deep concern the events in Turkey, a key partner on its southeastern flank which has been trying to join the EU for many years without success.
The EU’s controversial deal with Turkey in March to tackle the migrant crisis could be at risk, with implications for French and German elections next year.
Under the deal, Ankara agreed to take back migrants and refugees from the Greek islands and to stop people crossing the Aegean Sea. In return it is to get aid and visa-free travel for 80 million Turks to the EU.
The bloc overcame its aversion to Mr Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule, which has received sharp criticism from the 28-nation European Union.
Turkey will now likely dominate an EU foreign ministers’ meeting on Monday.
Turkey has a history of coups with governments ousted on three occasions in the last decades by full military coups.
However analysts had usually assumed that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Erdogan had good relations with the military.
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