Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “purge” of the “virus” that caused an attempt at a military coup in Turkey has resulted in the suspension of nearly 8,000 police officers.
The suspension of thousands of police officers, which remains unexplained by Turkish officials, comes after 6,000 judges and soldiers were arrested. The 2,745 judges were arrested shortly after being fired by Turkey’s Supreme Legal Authority.
Both the United States and Russia have urged President Erdogan to respect the rule of law, the constitution, and democratic rule.
“We will certainly support bringing perpetrators of the coup to justice – but we also caution against a reach that goes well beyond that,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry. Kerry’s government has been accused of orchestrating the coup, accusations that the US has strongly denied.
Turkey, which has said it will consider reintroducing the death penalty despite its international obligations, has accused Fethulla Gulen, a cleric living in asylum in the US, for being behind the coup attempt.
The military coup attempt started with soldiers taking control of key installations and announcing on state television that a “peace council” would now run the country to “reinstate constitutional order, human rights and freedoms.”
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