Turkey detains 6,000 in purge after failed coup

Turkish authorities on Monday arrested 6000 people after a ruthless crackdown against suspects in the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan said Turkey could consider reinstating the death penalty following the putsch bid, despite concerns in the international community.

World leaders including US President Barack Obama have strongly condemned Friday's attempted takeover by an army faction, but there is also an alarm over the retaliatory purges, especially after pictures emerged showing the rough treatment of some suspects.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said around 6,000 people had been detained in "clean-up operations" and warned that the number would rise. They include senior army commanders, top judges, prosecutors and a military aide to Erdogan.

A resurgent Erdogan raised the prospect of bringing back capital punishment, which was abolished in 2004 as the country sought to improve its chances of joining the EU.
"In democracies, decisions are made based on what the people say. I think our government will speak with the opposition and come to a decision," he said, reacting to crowds in Istanbul calling for the death penalty."We cannot delay this anymore because, in this country, those who launch a coup will have to pay the price for it," he told supporters.
He further said that he would continue to clean the virus from all state bodies because this virus has spread. “Unfortunately like cancer, this virus has enveloped the country," he said.

A total of 290 people were killed during the coup bid, including 161 civilians and regular troops and 104 coup plotters, according to government and military figures. Clashes erupted at an air base in the central city of Konya between security forces and putschists trying to evade arrest, while at Istanbul's second airport Sabiha Gokcen, police fired warning shots at rebel troops who later surrendered, a Turkish official told AFP.

Turkish authorities have made clear they will show no mercy in the wake of the coup, which sparked fears of chaos in the strategic NATO country of 80 million people. It was the biggest challenge to Erdogan's rule in his 13 years as prime minister and president.

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• President Recep Tayyip Erdogan