265 Dead, 3,000 Arrested As Attempted Coup Ended In Turkey
MEP: A total of 265 people were killed and some 3,000 others arrested after an attempted military coup in Turkey’s Istanbul and Ankara cities has been repelled with all Turkish territories are now under control of the pro-government forces, the county’s officials said.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Saturday, 161 government forces and civilians were among the dead.
The coup came after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan was embarked on a revenge mission against the military plotters who had threatened his government and regional stability on Saturday, raising fears for the future of democracy in the region.
Less than 24 hours thousands of Turks have taken to the streets of Istanbul to celebrate a failed military coup against the Ankara government that plunged the country into violence and intrigue.
The protesters marched to Istanbul’s Taksim Square on Saturday, waving Turkish flags and honking horn.
Some 2,700 judges sacked as the government re-asserts power.
Speaking at a news conference in Istanbul after arriving to the capital from the coastal city of Marmaris, Turkish President Erdogan said the attempt to push him from power was “an act of treason” and that those behind the plot would “pay a heavy price”.
He said he intended to stay with his “people” and not go anywhere.
“Shortly after I left [Marmaris] I have been told they bombed the locations where I was,” he told reporters. “I assume they thought I was still there when they bombed those places.”
“This uprising is a gift from God to us because this will be a reason to cleanse our army,” the president said in response to the bloodiest challenge to his 13-year-rule.
