The Sunday Telegraph

Revenge on the coup plotters

2,839 soldiers held, 2,745 judges facing arrest, as well as 265 killed Initial relief of world leaders after unstable region on knife edge ‹But fears that EU migrant deal in danger of being undermined

- By Josie Ensor in Istanbul and Peter Foster EUROPE EDITOR

TURKISH president Recep Tayyip Erdogan embarked on a revenge mission against the military plotters who had threatened his government and regional stability yesterday, raising fears for the future of democracy in the area.

In an astonishin­g and at times brutal 13-and-a-half hours that at one point reduced Mr Erdogan to broadcasti­ng to his nation via a mobile phone, street protests and military forces loyal to the Turkish leader suppressed the coup that left at least 265 dead.

In response, Mr Erdogan rounded up nearly 3,000 troops suspected of a part in the plot and issued arrest warrants for 2,745 judges in what was widely expected to mark the start of a purge of opposition forces.

“They will pay a heavy price for this,” he warned, calling for the death penalty to be reintroduc­ed. “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.

After a night when Turkey’s democracy appeared to hang by a thread, Western and Middle Eastern leaders offered vocal support for Turkey’s democratic institutio­ns.

However, senior Western diplomats were privately voicing fears that Mr Erdogan would use the coup to entrench his powers. “For now everyone is delighted that democracy is restored,” the source told The Sunday Telegraph. “The fear is for what comes next.”

The source added that keeping Turkey on a democratic track would top the agenda at tomorrow’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, who have been relying on the country to stem the flow of migrants into Europe since signing a deal with Ankara last year.

Regional analysts warned that a more autocratic Turkey could undermine the EU-Turkey migrant deal.

“Erdogan’s instinct and priority will now be to clamp down on dissent and consolidat­e power,” said Mujtaba Rahman, of the Eurasia Group, a risk consultanc­y. “This has to complicate cooperatio­n with Europe over refugees, as it’ll give more voice to already squeamish constituen­cies in the EU about closer ties with Turkey.”

Some 104 plotters were killed in clashes, while 161 others fell as “martyrs”, the government said.

The coup was defeated with the aid of tens of thousands of Erdogan supporters who poured on to the streets after the president flew back to Istan- bul in the middle of the night, using a hastily arranged press conference to urge them to take back control.

By the time the last plotters surrendere­d on the Bosphorus bridge, the crowds had descended on the disarmed rebels, beating them with clubs and humiliatin­g the failed soldiers as they cowered on the ground

Turkish authoritie­s named Akin Ozturk, a former air force commander, as one of the “mastermind­s of the coup” alongside two army generals, Adem Huduti and Avni Angun.

Up to 50,000 British holidaymak­ers were in the country. Many of them were last night looking for ways to return home after Istanbul’s main airport was temporaril­y shut and flights can- celled. Videos posted online showed putschists deliberati­ng driving a tank into Erdogan supporters who had been on their way to greet the president at the airport.

The rebel army faction – who called themselves the Peace Council and denounced Mr Erdogan’s increasing­ly non-secular and autocratic approach – said they were trying to overthrow the government to “protect human rights”.

Mr Erdogan, caught by surprise as he enjoyed a holiday in the south, was quick to blame his old foe Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric, and former ally, living in exile in the US.

Mr Gulen’s followers were known to have a strong presence in Turkey’s police and judiciary, but less so in the military. The cleric, however, condemned the attempted coup and said he played no part in it, but Mr Erdogan demanded his US allies hand him over for questionin­g.

Turkish residents were shocked on Friday night when tanks took up positions on two bridges over the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Then F16 jets flew low over the centre of Ankara, and the parliament building was bombed.

More than 100 soldiers stormed Taksim Square, the central meeting place in the commercial capital, just after midnight, telling people to go home.

After a five-hour standoff, almost all the plotters surrendere­d. In incredible scenes at the Bosphorus bridge, dozens of men in military fatigues were pictured at dawn light coming out from behind a tank with their hands up.

By yesterday morning, all symbols of the coup had been dismantled, or hijacked by government supporters. Some stood on top of an abandoned armoured vehicle in the middle of the main highway into Istanbul.

“Erdogan, Erdogan, he will never fail us,” they shouted into the windows of cars driving past.

The coup backfired on its plotters, only seeming to shore up support for the strongman who was already looking to consolidat­e his powers.

The plot appeared well organised, with the conspirato­rs communicat­ing via the What’sApp messaging service.

But the rebel soldiers who took part represent just a small faction of Turkey’s armed forces, which at 600,000 troops makes it the second biggest in Nato after the US.

Only a handful were generals, most were middle-to-lower ranking officers. Countries were last night lining up to condemn the insurrecti­on in Turkey, which is bidding to join the EU. Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said her nation “stands on the side of all of those in Turkey who defend democracy and the rule of law”.

However, EU officials are concerned by the autocratic leadership of Mr Erdogan, who, as president, is supposed to hold a largely ceremonial role, but in practice has ruled with little interferen­ce since coming to power in 2003.

Prof Howard Eissenstat, an expert on the region, said the failed coup would probably have the effect of even greater repression and centralisa­tion of power.

“This revolution will be crushed by the huge support he has around the country,” a young lawyer who backs Mr Erdogan said in Taksim Square. “You think he is strong now? You will see.”

 ??  ?? Soldiers surrender to the public on Bosphorus bridge, in Istanbul, a scene repeated in a number of locations
Soldiers surrender to the public on Bosphorus bridge, in Istanbul, a scene repeated in a number of locations
 ??  ?? A relation mourns over a policeman’s coffin in Marmaris last night
A relation mourns over a policeman’s coffin in Marmaris last night

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