Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made clear he will show no mercy.
Just days after a failed military coup that broke out into deadly violence, talks of reintroducing the death penalty have revived, more than 7,000 people have been arrested and some of the very institutions responsible for the country’s security have been gutted.
Of those detained, dozens were photographed at horse stables, forced to their knees, stripped to the waist in humiliation.
As Erdogan responds to the failed coup with an iron fist, Turkey is now faced with the question of what kind of democracy it wants to have.
Retribution
Erdogan is wasting no time to “cleanse” the country’s security forces of “viruses,” as he put it, vowing that those behind the attempt to overthrow his government “will pay a very heavy price for this act of treason.”
A total of 8,777 officers have already been removed from the Turkish Interior Ministry, the vast majority of them police officers, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Of those arrested are 103 generals and admirals, a third of the general-rank command of the Turkish military, according to Anadolu,
Judges, lawyers, senior aides and police are among those detained, while eight soldiers who fled to Greece are waiting to hear their fate, as no bilateral extradition agreement exists between the countries.
Dozens dead within hours
Elements of the military rolled their tanks onto the streets of Ankara and Istanbul on Friday night as Erdogan enjoyed a holiday in the resort of Marmaris.
The president, whose government is known for shutting down social media to stop protesters mobilizing, used FaceTime to call on the Turkish people, many of whom took to streets to challenge the military.
Dozens were dead within hours.
By Monday, the death toll was at 232, including 24 “coup plotters,” according to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Officials earlier said at least 290 people had been killed and did not explain the reason the death toll had been overstated. Another 1,400 were injured.
Yildirim also warned of repercussions, saying on Twitter that “every single drop of blood shed will be accounted for in such a harsh way.”
Anadolu reported that Cemil Candas, deputy mayor of the Sisli district in Istanbul, was shot in the head Monday and is in critical condition, although it was not clear who targeted him or why.
Death penalty = No EU membership
Calls to reintroduce the death penalty followed the failed coup almost immediately, sparking criticism from human rights groups as well as the European Union.
Speaking at a funeral on Sunday held for some of those killed during gunfire — including the brother of his chief adviser, Mustafa Varank — Erdogan said he did not rule out bringing back the death penalty for the coup’s perpetrators.
As the crowd chanted “we want the death penalty,” he said, “we can’t ignore the people’s request in a democracy — this is your right.”
“This right has to be evaluated by the appropriate authorities according to the constitution and a decision can be made,” Erdogan said in the address broadcast live on TV.
If it reintroduces the death penalty, it won’t be joining the European Union, according to EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.
“Let me be very clear on one thing … No country can become an EU member state if it introduces [the] death penalty,” Mogherini said on Monday.
Turkey applied for full EU membership in 1987, but was only considered a serious candidate in 1999.
Its application has faltered several times, but was recently given a boost after it made a deal with the union to stem the flow of refugees leaving its shores, bound for countries like Germany.
Amnesty: Rights must be respected
Turkey’s history of military coups has long had “devastating consequences” for human rights, Amnesty International said in a statement.
“A number of government officials and ruling party representatives have spoken in favor of reinstating the death penalty, itself a tool of past military rulers. This regressive step should be avoided, as should further restrictions on legitimate dissent,” Amnesty said.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was among world leaders to back Erdogan’s government in power.
“We also firmly urge the government of Turkey to maintain calm and stability throughout the country, and we also urge the government of Turkey to uphold the highest standards of respect for the nation’s democratic institutions and the rule of law. And we will certainly support bringing the perpetrators of the coup to justice,” Kerry said on Monday in Brussels, where he was meeting with EU leaders.
Twenty-seven men accused of masterminding the failed coup faced court in the capital Ankara on Monday, apparently without having access to the lawyers prior to their arrival.
Images show Akin Ozturk, a four-star general and former commander of the Turkish air force, had been arrested, his ear bandaged and neck bruised.
Erdogan blames Gulen
In addition to those detained, Erdogan is demanding the United States arrest or extradite Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom he blamed for the attempt to overthrow the government.
“Twenty years ago, I clearly stated my support for democracy and I said that there is no return from democracy in Turkey,” Gulen said Saturday. “My position on democracy is really clear. Any attempts to overthrow the country is a betrayal to our unity and is treason.”
Gulen, who is living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denied he had anything to do with it.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the United States hadn’t yet received a formal request from Turkey for Gulen’s extradition.