ISTANBUL/ANKARA: Turkey purged its police on Monday after rounding up thousands of soldiers in the wake of a failed military coup, and said it could reconsider its friendship with the United States unless Washington hands over a cleric Ankara blames for the putsch.
Turkish authorities moved swiftly to retaliate for Friday night’s coup, in which more than 200 people were killed when a faction of the armed forces tried to seize power.
But the swift justice, including calls to reinstate the death penalty for plotters, drew concern from Western allies who said Ankara must uphold the rule of law in the country, a NATO member that is Washington’s most powerful Muslim ally.
Thousands of members of the armed forces, from foot soldiers to commanders, were rounded up on Sunday, some shown in photographs stripped to their underpants and handcuffed on the floors of police buses and a sports hall. Several thousand prosecutors and judges have also been removed.
A senior security official told Reuters that 8,000 police officers, including in the capital Ankara and the biggest city Istanbul, had also been removed from their posts on suspicion of links to Friday’s coup bid.
Thirty regional governors and more than 50 high-ranking civil servants have also been dismissed, CNN Turk said.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said 7,543 people had so far been detained, including 6,038 soldiers. Work was under way to purge the civil service.
Turkey blames the failed coup on Fethullah Gulen, a cleric based in the United States who has a wide following in Turkey and denies any involvement.
Ankara has demanded Washington hand him over. Washington says it is prepared to extradite him but only if Turkey provides evidence linking him to crime. Yildirim rejected that demand.
“We would be disappointed if our (American) friends told us to present proof even though members of the assassin organization are trying to destroy an elected government under the directions of that person,” Yildirim said.
“At this stage there could even be a questioning of our friendship,” Yildirim added.
Yildirim said 232 people were killed in Friday night’s violence, 208 of them civilians, police and loyalist soldiers, and a further 24 coup plotters. Officials previously said the overall death toll was more than 290.
ERDOGAN’S PLANE IN REBEL SIGHTS
Around 1,400 others were wounded as soldiers commandeered tanks, attack helicopters and fighter jets in their bid to seize power, strafing parliament and the intelligence headquarters and trying to seize the main airport and bridges in Istanbul.
The coup crumbled after President Tayyip Erdogan, on holiday at the coast, phoned in to a television news program and called for his followers to take to the streets. He was able to fly into Istanbul in the early hours of Saturday, after rebel pilots had his plane in their sights but did not shoot it down.
On Sunday he told crowds of supporters, called to the streets by the government and by mosques across the country, that parliament must consider their demands to apply the death penalty for the plotters.
“We cannot ignore this demand,” he told a chanting crowd outside his house in Istanbul late on Sunday. “In democracies, whatever the people say has to happen.”
He called on Turks to stay on the streets until Friday, and late into Sunday night his supporters thronged squares and streets, honking horns and waving flags.
Turkey gave up the death penalty in 2004 as part of a program of reforms required to become a candidate to join the EU. Germany said on Monday that Turkey would lose its EU status if it reinstates the death penalty.
Yildirim said Turkey should not act hastily over the death penalty but could not ignore the demands of its people.
The bloodshed shocked the nation of almost 80 million, where the army last used force to stage a successful coup more than 30 years ago, and shattered fragile confidence in the stability of a NATO member state already rocked by Islamic State suicide bombings and an insurgency by Kurdish militants.
Western countries said they supported Erdogan’s government but Ankara should abide by the rule of law.
“We stand squarely on the side of the elected leadership in Turkey. But we also firmly urge the government of Turkey to maintain calm and stability throughout the country,” US Secretary of State Kerry told a news briefing in Brussels where he attended a gathering of European counterparts.
“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. We will certainly support bringing the perpetrators of the coup to justice but we also caution against a reach that goes well beyond that.”
Referring to Gulen, Kerry called on Turkey to furnish evidence “that withstands scrutiny,” rather than allegations.
EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini also called on Ankara to avoid steps that would damage the constitutional order.
“We were the first ... during that tragic night to say that the legitimate institutions needed to be protected,” she told reporters on arrival at the EU foreign ministers meeting.
“We are the ones saying today rule of law has to be protected in the country,” she said. “There is no excuse for any steps that take the country away from that.”
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish HDP opposition, parliament’s third largest party, said it would not support any government proposal to reintroduce the death penalty. The main CHP opposition said the response to the coup attempt must be conducted within the rule of law and that the plotters should face trial.
“HEAVY BLOW” TO MILITARY
Turkish security forces are still searching for some of the soldiers involved in the coup bid in various cities and rural areas but there is no risk of a renewed bid to seize power, a senior security official told Reuters.
The official said Turkey’s military command had been dealt “a heavy blow in terms of organization” but was still functioning in coordination with the intelligence agency, police and the government. Some high-ranking military officials involved in the plot have fled abroad, he said.
Erdogan has long accused Gulen of trying to create a “parallel state” within the courts, police, armed forces and media. Gulen, in turn, has said the coup attempt may have been staged, casting it as an excuse for Erdogan to forge ahead with his purge of the cleric’s supporters from state institutions.
The swift rounding up of judges and others indicated the government had prepared a list beforehand, the EU commissioner dealing with Turkey’s membership bid, Johannes Hahn, said.
“I’m very concerned. It is exactly what we feared,” he said in Brussels.
A Turkish official acknowledged that Gulen’s followers in the armed forces had been under investigation for some time, but denied that an arrest list had been prepared in advance.
“In our assessment, this group acted out of a sense of emergency when they realized that they were under investigation. There was a list of people who were suspected of conspiring to stage a coup,” the official said.
“There was no arrest list. There was a list of people suspected of planning a coup.”
Turkey widens post-coup purge, demands Washington hand over cleric
Turkey widens post-coup purge, demands Washington hand over cleric
Hamas ‘ready for dialogue’ with Trump administration, senior official says
- Mousa Abu Marzouk, 74, currently based in Qatar, is native of Gaza, former resident of Virginia
- It is unclear whether statement reflects broad consensus among militant group in Gaza Strip
LONDON: The Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip is ready to engage in dialogue with the US and its new administration under Donald Trump, according to one of its senior officials Mousa Abu Marzouk.
Abu Marzouk, who is a member of Hamas’ political office, told The New York Times on Sunday that the group was “prepared for a dialogue with America and to achieve understanding on everything.”
Abu Marzouk, 74, who is currently based in Qatar, is a native of Gaza and a former resident of Virginia.
His statement came hours after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect in the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the inauguration of a new administration in the White House.
It is unclear whether Abu Marzouk’s words reflect a broad consensus among the militant group in Gaza, which launched a cross-border attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
The US has classified Hamas as a terrorist organization since 1997.
Abu Marzouk told The New York Times that Hamas was prepared to welcome an envoy from the Trump administration to the Gaza Strip.
He said: “He can come and see the people and try to understand their feelings and wishes, so that the American position can be based on the interests of all the parties and not only one party.”
Abu Marzouk praised Trump for helping to secure the ceasefire agreement in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, adding that “without President Trump’s insistence on ending the war and his dispatching of a decisive representative, this deal wouldn’t have happened.”
Israelis want Trump to ‘make Israel normal again’
- During his first term, Trump broke with much of the international community and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem
TEL AVIV: For many Israelis yearning for a future free from war and for the release of hostages still held in Gaza, US President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House on Monday is a source of hope.
On the eve of his inauguration, three women hostages were released after 15 months in captivity by Hamas militants, after mediators Qatar, the United States and Egypt clinched a Gaza ceasefire agreement.
Trump, whose envoy took part in negotiations even ahead of his return to the presidency, claimed credit for the deal following months of fruitless negotiations.
But many Israelis have been looking forward to his return for a while, even ahead of the ceasefire.
In Tel Aviv’s Sarona commercial district, a massive banner bearing the president-elect’s image was erected weeks ago.
It shows Trump, his fist raised in defiance. The caption, a reference to the hostages, reads: “ALL OF THEM UNTIL THE 20.1 — OR THE FIRE OF HELL WILL OPEN.”
In early December, Trump warned of “hell” if, by his inauguration, Hamas did not release the dozens of Israeli hostages held since its October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the Gaza war.
With the first three releases on Sunday, 91 hostages remain in Gaza.
The Tel Aviv banner was the initiative of Tikva Forum, a campaign group of hostage relatives opposed to a deal with Hamas.
“Hamas has to realize that the rules are about to change in the Middle East and that it’s time to bring back the hostages immediately,” the group said in a statement.
Its members have been anticipating the US billionaire’s return to the helm in Washington, Israel’s closest ally and top military backer.
But it is not just Israelis opposed to a deal that are hopeful.
In the lead-up to the inauguration, his image has become a fixture at weekly rallies calling for the release of hostages.
Red caps handed out at protests alluded to the ones proudly worn by Trump supporters.
But instead of “Make America Great Again,” the ones worn in Israel read: “End this fuc*!ng war.”
Demonstrators carried posters that read: “Trump, thank you for handling this,” “President Trump, bring them home,” and “Make Israel normal again.”
“I know that when he’s going to be back, things will change, but I’m not sure to which extent,” said Gaya Omri, a protester at a recent rally in Jerusalem.
“My only hope is that he can finish this war. This is what we want,” she said.
During his first term, Trump broke with much of the international community and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem.
Israelis claim the city as their undivided capital, while Palestinians claim its eastern sector as theirs.
Trump oversaw landmark normalization deals between Israel and three Arab countries — Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
He also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, again going against much of the world and numerous UN resolutions.
As a show of gratitude, an Israeli settlement in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, was renamed Trump Heights.
“President Trump put us on the map,” said Yaakov Selavan of the Golan Heights Regional Council.
“He gave us the best PR campaign we’ve ever had, and we hope the new US administration will continue this,” he said.
This time round, some of Trump’s cabinet picks again suggest a favorable line for Israel.
The incoming president’s pick for US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, is a staunch supporter of Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank.
Arab Gulf leaders, Jordan’s king, Palestine’s president congratulate Trump on his inauguration
- Trump says he wants to be ‘peacemaker, unifier’
- Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq expresses wish for Trump’s success in second term as US president
LONDON: Arab Gulf leaders, the king of Jordan, and Palestine’s president have congratulated Donald Trump on his inauguration as the 47th president of the US.
The leadership of the UAE, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the prime minister and ruler of Dubai; and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the UAE’s deputy prime minister and chairman of the Presidential Court, each sent a congratulatory message to Trump on Monday.
Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq expressed his wish for Trump’s success in his second term as US president.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa expressed his wishes for Trump’s good health, happiness, and success in his role, highlighting his pride in the relations and close partnership between the US and Bahrain.
Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the emir of Kuwait, affirmed in his message to Trump the aspiration to strengthen the well-established relations between the two countries.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on X that Jordan highly valued its partnership with the US and was committed to working with Trump toward a peaceful world.
In his speech at the Capitol Rotunda, Trump said he wanted to be a “peacemaker and unifier,” while mentioning the recently released hostages in a deal between Hamas and Israel which brought a ceasefire to the Gaza Strip this week.
Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, said in a message that the PA was ready to work with Trump to achieve peace during his administration, based on the two-state solution.
PLO is the ‘only legitimate representative’ of Palestinians, minister tells UN Security Council
- Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian calls for all Palestinians to work ‘under one regime, one law and a single armed forces’
- Israeli representative calls on council members to condemn Hamas and designate it as a terror group
NEW YORK CITY: Palestine’s foreign minister on Monday said that the State of Palestine has “legal and political” jurisdiction over the Gaza Strip and all occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, and warned that any attempt to annex the West Bank would be a violation of international law.
Varsen Aghabekian told a meeting of the UN Security Council in New York that the “imperative” to uphold the legitimate rights of Palestinians requires “unity of our land and our people under the umbrella of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.”
She added: “It also requires everyone to commit to the PLO political program and international commitments, and to work under one regime, one law and a single armed forces.”
Her statement came as debates continue about the future role of Hamas in Gaza. Israel and several other countries believe the group, which was responsible for the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel in which about 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage, should be disqualified from playing any part in the future of the battered territory.
Aghabekian called for the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on Sunday to be fully implemented, in order to allow the Palestinian Authority “to shoulder its full responsibilities in Gaza,” and for the reunification of the Strip with the West Bank “under the management of the Palestinian Authority.”
She also called for a return to a political process that would end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, and lead to the implementation of a two-state solution.
The high-level meeting of the Security Council was convened as the signature event of Algeria’s presidency of the council for the month of January. More 70 countries attended, including Saudi Arabia.
Aghabekian said the Palestinian government stands ready to govern Gaza and the West Bank in cooperation with “friendly and sisterly” countries and international organizations.
“The Palestinian government is ready to provide basic services, including health, education, water and electricity; to guarantee the return of the displaced to their homes; and to prepare for the reconstruction phase,” the minister told the council.
“We are also committed to managing the (border) crossing points, in collaboration with the EU and Egypt.”
Aghabekian also underscored the important role of the UN Relief and Works Agency, the largest aid agency for Palestinians, describing it as “indispensable and irreplaceable.” A ban by the Knesset that would prevent the agency from working in Israel and the territories it occupies is due to take effect at the end of this month.
“The Israeli occupation powers do not have the right to prevent UNRWA from working,” Aghabekian said.
Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly, the political coordinator at Israel’s UN mission in New York, told the Security Council: “The families of the hostages and the people of Israel know that this moment is only the beginning. This war will not end until every hostage is returned and Hamas’ ability to terrorize is dismantled.”
She said Hamas has turned Gaza into “a fortress of terror, sacrificing their own civilians to shield their operations. It has weaponized schools, hospitals and mosques, transforming them into instruments of war.
“This barbarity demands a resolute and united response from the international community.”
Ben Naftaly added: “Failing to act decisively against Hamas sends a dangerous message to other terrorist organizations that such tactics are permissible.
“It is a test of our collective will to uphold international law and human dignity.”
The diplomat called on the Security Council to take “the most basic, moral step” and “unequivocally condemn Hamas and designate it as the terrorist organization it is.”
Palestinian president Abbas ‘ready to work’ with Trump on two-state solution
- “We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution,” Abbas said
- Trump has taken credit for securing a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza
RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas congratulated US President Donald Trump on his inauguration on Monday and said he was ready to work for peace with Israel based on a two-state solution.
“We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution,” Abbas said in a statement published by the official Wafa news agency.
Abbas said it would mean “the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side-by-side in security and peace, ensuring security and stability in our region and the world.”
In his first presidential term, from 2017 to 2021, Trump’s administration put together a peace proposal which would have involved Israel annexing much of the occupied West Bank while handing over some territory to a future Palestinian state in return.
The Palestinians strongly rejected the proposal, and Israel abandoned its annexation plans when some Gulf Arab states normalized ties with it under US-brokered agreements.
Trump has taken credit for securing a ceasefire deal in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff taking part in negotiations that finally produced an agreement that came into effect on Sunday.
A two-state solution has been the basis for the peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back decades, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly refused to countenance an independent Palestinian state.
He has also rejected any role for the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, which Abbas leads, in a post-war Gaza Strip.
On Friday, Abbas had said the PA was ready to assume “full responsibility” for Gaza.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II also congratulated Trump, saying: “We greatly value our partnership with the United States and are committed to working with you toward a more prosperous and peaceful world.”
