Erdogan counter "coup" repression: over 35 thousand arrested, 82 thousand suspects
A failed coup in mid-July tens of thousands of arrests. At least 26 thousand people are free, but "under judicial control." According to the Minister of Justice the operations target the authors and supporters of the coup. The ruling party ready to submit the text of institutional change to Parliament: from a parliamentary to a presidential system.
Ankara (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Since the (failed) coup attempt last July, Ankara’s security forces arrested more than 35 thousand people and investigated a total of about 82 thousand. This is according to the Turkish Ministry of Justice which claims that the operations – which began in the aftermath of the coup and are still ongoing - are part of the campaign launched by the government and by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against (alleged) perpetrators and supporters.
Minister Bekir Bozdag said that of the circle of people under investigation, at least 26 thousand have been released but remain "under judicial control”.
In a public speech on October 22 at Afyonkarahisar and re-launched yesterday by the press, a senior government official has confirmed the charges against former preacher Fethullah Gülen, in exile in the United States and considered the mastermind behind the coup along with his followers.
During the hectic night of the failed coup between July 15 and 16 270 people were killed, thousands wounded.
Since then government leaders and President Erdogan have launched a campaign of purges against intellectuals personalities, political, military and administrative authorities considered close to Fethullah Gülen, who has always denied any involvement in the operations. The crackdown has also involved journalists, media close to the opposition, teachers and administrative staff.
All areas of political and institutional life of the country were affected by the intervention of the police and intelligence. This unprecedented repression in Turkey and has received strong criticism in the West, and marked a distancing between Ankara and Washington.
Meanwhile the Party for Justice and Development (AKP), in power in the country, has concluded its work aimed at the creation of a presidential system in Turkey and is ready to submit the bill to Parliament. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has declared the end of work "on the new Constitution and the presidential system."
Speaking at a two-day conference organized by the party, the Prime Minister then added that "we will send our proposal to the Parliament as soon as possible."
President Erdogan, who founded the AKP, is the first supporter of the institutional transformation of the country from a parliamentary system to a presidential republic. A step opposed by the opposition, according to which a regime change would provide too much power in the hands of the head of state.
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