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Erdogan rounds up suspected plotters of Turkey coup attempt

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ANI Washington D.C

Staying true to his promise of launching a crackdown on those behind the failed military coup attempt, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continued to round up the suspects and those perceived to have been involved in the rebellion.

According to CNN, thousands of soldiers have been arrested and hundreds of judiciary members removed since Friday's uprising, which left at least 290 people dead and more than 1,400 injured in a chaotic night of violence.

Around 6,000 people have been detained and arrests will continue, according to Turkey's foreign ministry.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has vowed that "they will pay a heavy price" and Erdogan asserted that he will remove the "viruses" from all state institutions.

 

The arrests include Gen. Bekir Ercan Van, commander of the Incirlik Air Base, according to the Turkish President's office. The United States uses the airbase to launch airstrikes on ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

An "order of detention" for Col. Ali Yazici, a senior military aide to Erdogan, has also been issued, according to Anadolu.

Clashes occurred Sunday between security forces and coup plotters resisting arrest nearly 200 miles south of Ankara at Konya Airbase.

Attending a funeral on Sunday for those killed during gunfire, Erdogan said, "It is not anything ordinary that my young brothers lay under tank pellets; this is a manifest of faith."

He also asked his supporters to stay on guard saying, "You should fill the squares. This isn't a 12-hour operation. We will continue determinedly.

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First Published: Jul 18 2016 | 11:28 AM IST

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