Turkey To Disband Presidential Guard After Failed Coup
MEP: Turkey has reportedly announced to disband the country’s presidential guard after nearly 300 of its members were detained following last week’s failed coup.
The announcement was made by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim on Saturday saying “the presidential guard regiment will be disbanded”, the Anadolu news agency reported citing the Turkish NTV channel.
“There will no longer be a presidential guard, there is no purpose, there is no need,” Yildirim added.
Turkey has launched a large-scale crackdown following the July 15 attempted coup d’état. A three-month state of emergency has also been declared in Turkey.
Earlier, Turkey detained a nephew of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who, it says, was behind the uprising. He strongly denies the claim.
A key aide of Mr Gulen has also been arrested, a presidency official said.
Erdogan accuses Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey and abroad, of masterminding last Friday’s failed coup, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2,100 others sustained injuries. Gulen denies the charge and has condemned the coup.
