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Supporters Rally For Erdogan After Failed Military Coup
On Turkey's streets, emboldened Islamist followers of Erdogan's party have paraded in a show of support.
A iman passes the Turkish flag during a demonstration in support of Turkey's President Erdogan at the Sarachane park in Istanbul on July 19.
Turkey has demanded the resignation of 1,577 university deans suspected of being connected with Friday's attempted coup, state-run news agency Anadolu reported July 19. The country's higher education board made the demand for deans at state and private foundation universities to resign, Anadolu said.
Pro-Erdogan supporters react during a protest at the Sarchane park in Istanbul on July 19.
The Turkish army said on July 19 that the vast majority of its members had no links with the July 15 attempted coup and warned that the putschists would face severe punishment.
The armed forces blamed the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" (FETO) for the failed putsch, referring to Fethullah Gulen, a one-time ally turned foe of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey's prime minister said on July 19 his government had sent four files to the United States, as Ankara seeks the extradition of US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.
A young man waving a Turkish flag salutes during a rally in Taksim Square in Istanbul, protesting against the attempted coup on July 19.
The Turkish government accelerated its crackdown on alleged plotters of the failed coup. The rebellion, which saw warplanes firing on key government installations and tanks rolling into major cities, was quickly quashed by loyal government forces and masses of civilians who took to the streets.
Supporters of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan wave flags as they gather in Istanbul's central Taksim Square.
Clean up operations are continuing in the aftermath of Friday's failed military coup attempt. In raids across Turkey 7,543 people have been arrested including high-ranking soldiers and judges, Turkey's PM Binali Yildirim said.
Protesters burn an effigy of Turkish Muslim cleric Gulen, during the demonstration at Taksim Square.
Yildirim, said that of the 7,500 detainees involved in the coup attempt, there were 6,000 soldiers, 100 police officers, 755 judges and prosecutors and 650 civilians. Among the detained army officials included 103 generals, almost one third of the 356 generals in the Turkish Army.
A supporter of President Erdogan takes a selfie as people gather in Istanbul's central Taksim Square.
Fuelling fears of retribution have grown against those seen as pro-Gulenist or other opponents. Some public figures critical of Erdogan are keeping a low profile while thousands have been arrested.
Protesters hold Turkish flags during the demonstration at Taksim Square.
Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said it took several thousands soldiers to carry out the coup attempt and that it was "only natural" for Turkey to apply the rule of law to arrest suspects on charges of treason.
"There's nothing exceptional or surprising about the fact that several thousand people have been arrested," he told reporters in Istanbul.
