Turkey demands return of ‘treacherous officers’ as Greece says helicopter lands with asylum seekers

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Ankara had asked Athens to send back the eight coup plotters.
“We have requested Greece to extradite the eight traitors as soon possible,” Cavusoglu was quoted as telling HaberTurk television.

According to an official in the Greek National Defence General Staff, “the helicopter is scheduled to be sent back
immediately to Turkey”. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras early today expressed his “support for the democratically elected” Turkish government

This incident comes after Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared he is in control of the country early Saturday as loyal military and police forces quashed a coup attempt during a night of explosions, air battles and gunfire that left dozens dead.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who flew home early Saturday, said coup supporters “will pay a heavy price for their treason to Turkey.”

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The chaos capped a period of political turmoil in Turkey which critics blamed on Erdogan’s increasingly authoritarian rule, which has included a government shake-up, a crackdown on dissidents and opposition media and renewed conflict in the mainly Kurdish areas of the southeast.

Turkish soldiers secure the area as supporters of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan protest in Istanbul’s Taksim square, early Saturday, July 16, 2016. Turkey’s prime minister says a group within Turkey’s military has engaged in what appeared to be an attempted coup. Binali Yildirim told NTV television: “it is correct that there was an attempt.” (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

READ: Turkey, Turkey coup, Turkey coup attempt, Erdogan, Turkey violence, Turkey erdogan, Turkey coup 2016

Gen. Umit Dundar, the newly appointed acting chief of the general staff, said more than 190 people died in clashes: 41 police officers, two soldiers, 47 civilians and 104 people described as “coup plotters.”

Dundar said officers from the Air Force, the military police and the armored units were mainly involved in the attempt.

READ: Who is Fethullah Gulen: The cleric being blamed for Turkey coup attempt

More than 1,500 military personnel were arrested across the country, said a senior official who was not authorized to speak to the media. The state-run Anadolu news agency said more than 1,100 were wounded. Colonels and generals implicated in the rebellion were fired and loyal troops rescued the military chief who had been taken hostage at an air base on the outskirts of Ankara.

(with PTI inputs)