Turkey's Erdogan, using emergency decree, shuts schools, charities, unions

President RecepTayyipErdogantightened his grip on Turkey on Saturday, ordering the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions in his first decree since imposing a state of emergency after the failed military coup.

A restructuring of Turkey's once untouchable military alsodrew closer, with a planned meeting between Erdogan and thealready purged top brass brought forward by several days.

The schools and other institutions are suspected by Turkish authorities of having links to U.S.-based Muslim preacher
Fethullah Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey. Erdogan hasaccused Gulen of orchestrating the July 15 coup attempt in whichat least 246 people were killed. Gulen denies the accusation.

• 'We are living in a scary moment': Lengthy state of emergency follows failed coup in Turkey

His nephew, Muhammed Sait Gulen, was detained in thenortheastern Turkish city of Erzurum and will be brought to thecapital Ankara for questioning, the Anadolu state news agency reported. Among possiblecharges that could be brought against him is membership of aterrorist organization, the agency said.

It is the first time a relative of Gulen has been reporteddetained since the failed coup.

"We in Turkey are passing through [an] extraordinary time," Turkey's ambassador to Canada, Selcuk Unal, told CBC'sCarole MacNeil.

"This terrorist gang that was in the army ... tried to arrange a coup, which failed, and during this coup attempt, so many people died," he said.

"It's still a serious situation," he added. "The government is trying to contain the threat this terrorist gang is posing to Turkey."

Critics of Erdogan fear he is using the attempted coup towage an indiscriminate crackdown on dissent. The foundations targeted include, for example, the Association of Judges andProsecutors (YARSAV), a secular group that criticized a recentjudicial law drafted by Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party.

In his decree, published by Anadolu, Erdogan also extended to a maximum of 30 days, from four days, theperiod in which some suspects can be detained. It said thiswould facilitate a full investigation into the coup attempt.

Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death during the July 15 coup attempt, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday he would restructure the armed forces and bring in "fresh blood."

Military meeting moved to palace

Turkey's Supreme Military Council (YAS) will meet underErdogan'ssupervision on July 28, a few days earlier than originally planned, private broadcaster NTV reported, a sign that the president wants to act fast to ensure the armed forces are fully under the government's control.

Reinforcing that message, the YAS meeting which usually takes place every August will be held this time in the presidential palace, not, as is customary, at the headquarters of the military General Staff.

Erdogan, a popular but polarizing figure who has dominated Turkish politics since 2003, declared the state of emergencylate on Wednesday, saying it would enable authorities to swiftlyand effectively root out supporters of the coup.

• Who isFethullahGulen, the manErdoganblames for coup attempt in Turkey
• Why is Turkey blamingGulenand followers for coup attempt?

The emergency allowsErdoganand the AK Party government,who are mildlyIslamist, to pass laws without first having towin parliamentary support and also to curb or suspend rights andfreedoms as they deem necessary.

Turkish authorities have already launched a series of mass purges of the armed forces, police, judiciary and education system, targeting followers of Gulen, who operates an extensive network of schools and charitable foundations.

The first decree signed by Erdogan authorized the closure of 1,043 private schools, 1,229 charities and foundations, 19 trade unions, 15 universities and 35 medical institutions over suspected links to the Gulen movement, the Anadolu agency said.

Erdogan urges more rallies

Parliament must still approve the decree but requires only a simple majority, which the ruling AK Party founded by Erdogan and in power in Turkey since 2002 commands.

In an address to lawmakers late on Friday Erdogan vowed to bring to justice supporters of the Gulenist "terrorist" movement and he urged Turks to continue attending rallies in major cities in support of democracy and against the coup plotters.

More rallies were planned over the weekend in many towns andcities. In Istanbul, Turkey's commercial capital, authoritieshave allowed people to travel for free on the metro system sothey can more easily attend the rallies. Video screens on trainsshow pictures of citizens, or "martyrs," killed in the violence.

Global implications of attempted coup in Turkey

8 years ago

Duration 2:18

Ryerson University professor Mustafa Koc discusses the impacts of the failed coup beyond Turkey's borders

'No need' forevidencefor extradition of cleric

On Friday evening Erdogan held his first meeting since thecoup with the head of the national intelligence agency, HakanFidan, after complaining of significant intelligenceshortcomings ahead of the coup attempt. Despite media
speculation, however, he did not sack Fidan.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told private broadcasterNTV that Turkey expected to complete within 10 days a dossierrequesting Gulen's extradition from the United States.

• Erdogansets stage for return of death penalty

Cavusoglu said the link between soldiers involved in the coup and Gulen's extensive network of followers was "very clear," adding that Turkey would do all it could "politically and legally" to secure his extradition.

The U.S. has said Ankara needs to provide clear evidence of Gulen's involvement before it can agree to extradite him. Lawyers say the process could take many years.

Unal, the Turkish ambassador, disagreed.

"After such a bloody coup, there's no need for any kind of evidence," Unal told CBC.

When pressed to clarify, he said many of those behind the coup"have announced that they were working for this movement," referring toGulen's organization.

After the coup, Western countries pledged support for democracy in Turkey, a NATO ally and an important partner in the fight against ISIS, but they have also expressed concern over the scale of the subsequent purges of state institutions.

Turkish authorities have suspended, detained or placed under investigation more than 60,000 soldiers, police officers, judges, teachers, civil servants and others in the past week.

Turkey's ambassador to Canada reacts to coup attempt

8 years ago

Duration 10:33

'We in Turkey are passing through an extraordinary time,' says Selcuk Unal