Erdogan Continues Expansion of His Power at the Expense of Arrests of Thousands of People

• 06.07.2017, 20:48
•  Region,  World

Al-Manar TV Lebanon

Recently state-run Anadolu Agency in Turkey published a report claiming that Fethullah Gülen was planning to come to Turkey himself to lead the July 2016 coup attempt, but could not do so due to health problems. The report was prepared based on the information received by Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office, which, according to the source reached newly decoded emails used by members of FETÖ (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization), Hurriyet informs.

In one of the decoded emails reached, one of the members of the organization residing in Africa quoted Gülen as saying: "If my health lets me, I could also take part [in the coup attempt]. But it takes 10 hours to go to Turkey by plane and my heath may not allow it."

Surely, the information received by Ankara’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office does not prove anything, but it shows how consistent the state works in the direction of getting Gulen back and arresting all those, who are or can become potential obstacles on the way of the full expansion of Erdogan’s powers.

Let’s remember that after the military coup attempt, which some claim was staged by Erdogan himself to legitimize his further actions, Erdogan started blaming Gulen for organizing it. After that, the country more consistently began to demand Gulen from the US, as well as started arrests and prosecutions of people, who are hindering Erdogan to establish full dictatorship, thus excluding any dissidence in the country. And all these arrests are being carried out with the accusations of having links with Gulen.

The newest example of this is the arrest of the chairman of Amnesty International Turkey in the western city of Izmir along with 22 other lawyers over alleged links to the Gulen movement. Amnesty International has already called the Turkish Government to immediately release Taner Kilic along with the other 22 lawyers, and drop all charges against them, as there is no "credible and admissible evidence of their involvement in internationally recognized crimes," Al Jazeera informs. In this regard it is interesting to note that Amnesty International has previously criticized the actions of the Turkish Government, saying it has extended beyond the coup suspects and targeted opponents of Erdogan.

Of course, this is only one example, but there are thousands of them. Since the failed military coup attempt, over 40,000 people have been arrested and more than 120,000 others suspended from the public sector under a state of emergency. In this way Erdogan is trying to get rid of the headaches in the country and become a real "sultan", who controls everything and who has unlimited power.