SHAFAQNA – Following the Turkish government’s request to the White House to extradite Fethullah Gulen back to Ankara, Erdogan is currently undertaking a massive purge of government and military personnel inside Turkey.
The latest purge numbers are as follows (via Zerohedge):
- 15,200 educators
- 8,000 police officers
- 3,500 soldiers
- 3,000 judges
- 492 clerics
- 257 in PM’s office
- 120 generals and admirals
Erdogan’s purge is also moving to crackdown on media outlets, state run and independent, as Zerohedge further reports…
Turkey continues to pursue every domestic trace of Gulen, moments ago Turkey’s radio-TV watchdog RTUK unanimously voted to cancel all broadcast rights and licenses of radio and TV stations that are linked to Gulenist “FETO/PDY” organization, it says in statement on website.
Names of outlets, whose broadcast rights and licenses are canceled, according to state-run Anadolu Agency: STV, Samanyolu Haber, Samanyolu Haber Radyo, Can Erzincan TV, Kanal 124, Yumurcak TV, Hira TV, MC TV, Dunya TV, Kanal Turk, Bugun TV, Mehtap TV, Berfin FM, Kanal Turk Radyo, Burc FM, Samanyolu Haber Radyosu, Radyo Mehtap, Haber Radyo Ege, Dunya Radyo, Radyo Kure, Merkur TV, Esra Radyo, Tuna Shoping TV, Samanyolu Haber Radyo Anadolu
Meanwhile, as western main stream media has tried its best to avoid the Turkey topic so as to not further upset the NATO partner and US ally, the UN has decided to speak out on the troubling situation unfolding in Ankara.
U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, expressed concern over “the mass suspension or removals of judges in Turkey.”
Al-Hussein also commented on rumors that Turkey may reinstate the death penalty saying such a move would be “a big step in the wrong direction” and violate Turkey’s responsibilities under international law.
Erdogan remains unfazed and seems determined to get his man at all costs. More from Zerohedge…
Yet even as the arrests continue, Turkey vowed on Tuesday to root out allies of the U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, it blames for a failed coup attempt last week, after an already deep purge of the army, police and judiciary, and said it had sent Washington evidence of his wrongdoing. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim accused Washington, which said it will only consider extradition if clear evidence is provided, of double standards in its fight against terrorism.
“We have more than enough evidence, more than you could ask for, on Gulen,” Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told reporters outside parliament. “There is no need to prove the coup attempt, all evidence shows that the coup attempt was organized on his will and orders.”
Earlier today, Turkey’s deputy prime minister says dossiers containing details of activities of Gulen have been sent to the U.S. Numan Kurtulmus says Tuesday he can’t go into the details of the files but said they include the past actions of the group led by Fethullah Gulen. They may also include new evidence that emerges from the current investigation.
But as Turkish demands get louder, the US stance — that any request for extradition should go through a judicial review — has angered Turkish politicians, including Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, who told reporters on Monday that “we will be a little bit disappointed if our friends say ‘show us the evidence’ while there are members of this organisation which is trying to destroy a state and a person who instructs it”.
“Even questioning our friendship may be brought to the agenda here,” he added.
But the request does not include any evidence of Mr Gulen’s actions related to the coup, said Bekir Bozdag, the justice minister, noting the complexity of an ongoing investigation. Instead, a Turkish official said, the dossiers include the results of Turkish prosecutors’ long-running probes into Mr Gulen’s actions.