Turkey's Government Reports Thousands of Military Personnel Detained, 265 People Dead After Failed Coup
Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced there have been 265 casualties and 1,440 wounded as a result of clashes between military personnel and government forces following an attempted military coup in Turkey, the New York Times reports. Yildirim also said that 2,839 military personnel have been detained.
At a news conference in Ankara, Turkey on Saturday, Yildirim called the coup, “a stain in the history of democracy.”
Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan has blamed the followers of Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who lives in exile in Pennsylvania, and a one-time ally of Erdogan until the two had a falling out three yeas ago, the New York Times reports.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Saturday that he has yet to receive an extradition request for Gulen, but signaled the federal government’s willingness to cooperate in Turkey’s investigation.
“The United States will obviously be supportive of any legitimate legislative efforts and, under due process and within the law, we will be completely supportive of efforts to assist the government of Turkey if they so request,” Kerry said.
Gulen has condemned the coup and denied playing any role in its orchestration.
Turkish authorities temporarily froze American-led strikes against ISIS flying from the Incirlik air base on Saturday, according to the New York Times.
On Saturday, Turkish Airlines resumed flights out of Istanbul’s international airport, which had been closed since late Friday due to the coup, resulting in 32 cancelled flights, according to Reuters.