Turkey Coup Attempt: Nearly 8,000 Police Officers Purged

Up to 8,000 police officers have been suspended in Turkey, reportedly on suspicion of having links to the failed coup attempt at the weekend, officials say.

Some 6,000 members of the judiciary and military, including generals, have been detained in connection with the coup.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed to purge state bodies of the “virus” that caused the revolt.

The EU’s foreign policy chief says the rule of law in Turkey needs protection.

The government claims cleric Fethullah Gulen was behind the plot.

Fethullah Gulen lives in the US and strongly denies any involvement.

Turkish state media reported on July 18 that more than 100 generals and admirals had been detained in raids across the country.

Eight Turkish military officers who fled to Greece by helicopter are appearing in court in the Greek border city of Alexandropouli charged with entering the country illegally.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a crowd on July 17 that Turkey would consider reinstating the death penalty.

Capital punishment was abolished in 2004 as part of Turkey’s bid to join the EU. Nobody has been executed in the country since 1984.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, was speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers and Secretary of State John Kerry in Brussels, at which the events in Turkey are likely to be high on the agenda.

Federica Mogherini said there would be no excuse for any steps that would take Turkey away from the rule of law and that the foreign ministers would be sending a “strong message” on that.