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TURKEY HAS LAUNCHED fresh raids in a relentless crackdown against suspects behind a coup bid that left over 300 people dead, as its Western allies warned against any move to reinstate the death penalty.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to wipe out the “virus” of the putschists after facing down the coup bid by elements of the military disgruntled with what they see as his increasingly iron-fisted 13-year rule.
But the United States and European Union have sternly warned him against excessive retribution as the authorities round up the alleged perpetrators of Friday’s attempted power grab.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman denounced “revolting scenes of caprice and revenge against soldiers on the streets” after disturbing pictures emerged of the treatment of some detained suspects.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said over 7,500 people have been detained so far, including 103 generals and admirals, in the investigation into Friday’s coup which Erdogan has blamed on his arch-enemy, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.
The interior ministry said almost 9,000 police, municipal governors and other officials had also been dismissed in a widening purge.
The authorities have also detained General Mehmet Disli, who conducted the operation to capture chief-of-staff Hulusi Akar during the stand-off, an official said.
The 103 generals detained are accused of seeking to violate the constitution and attempting to overthrow the authorities by force, as well what the authorities call the Fethullahci Terror Organisation (FETO) led by Gulen.
Vigil
Erdogan has urged citizens to remain on the streets even after the defeat of the coup, in what the authorities describe as a “vigil” for democracy.
Thousands of pro-Erdogan supporters waving Turkish flags filled the main Kizilay Square in Ankara while similar scenes were seen in Taksim Square in Istanbul.
According to Anadolu, 1,800 additional elite special police forces have been drafted in from surrounding provinces to ensure security in Istanbul.
Eleven soldiers suspected of involvement in the coup were detained at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport, with authorities firing warning shots in the air, a Turkish official said.
‘Pay the price’
Western leaders have urged Turkey to follow the rule of law in the wake of the coup bid, with the massive retaliatory purge adding to concerns about human rights and democracy in the NATO member state.
“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,” US Secretary of State John Kerry told a news conference after talks with EU foreign ministers.
Responding to the criticism, Yildirim said the plotters would be brought to account but Turkey would “act within the law”.
But Erdogan added fuel to the fire yesterday when he told supporters that Turkey could consider reintroducing the death penalty which it had abolished in 2004 as part of its longstanding EU membership bid.
“We cannot delay this anymore because in this country, those who launch a coup will have to pay the price for it,” he said.
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini responded bluntly.
“Let me be very clear… no country can become an EU state if it introduces the death penalty,” she said.
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3G patchy, 4G almost non existent around Ireland al least. Let’s start on 5G!
So Should I upgrade my iPhone 4 yet or wait?
Your iPhone 4 doesn’t support 4G, so it will only work on 2G and 3G networks. So your phone is behind already
Upgrade to an iphone 7 and to hell with everyone else.
I know its old! What I don’t know is if its better to upgrade now or wait
Your device is capable of a theoretical speed 42.3Mbps so it’s still very good as long as you are near a tower. So really you can make do with your iPhone 4!
Was in the US recently and discovered my iPhone 4 has 4G. Forgot to turn off data and cost me a fortune in 15 secs :-(
Viking this is probably not the case.. Some of the operators advertise their UMTS networks as ’4G’ even though they are 3G. They do this because no one owns the terms ’4G’ or ’3G’ and simply renaming their 3G network as ’4G’ gives the perception that their network is more advanced that their competitors. That’s America for you!
Somebody give that poor man a simple yes or no answer!
Im going to start working on 11G now, by the time they get there Ill probably have invented it and ill be rich!
Start at 1H, totally take everyone by surprise.
3G , 4G …. 5G …..
Could someone please explain these terms in English.
Is this just another way to get more money out of us consumers or are there real benefits to society?
Each is a generation. One generation is an technological evolution of the other. The higher the number, the faster the internet on your phone.
The higher the number the bigger the tumour..
Doesn’t matter a shite when you still can’t get even 2G in certain parts of rural Ireland.
The higher the number, the more you have to pay to use it!!!
It has a lot to do with the consumer product cycle. Just about the time your phone stops holding a battery charge, they develop a new “network technology” so you will buy a new phone to go with the new network and the new contract with your provider that includes a new price.
I still have an old Motorola phone bought in China for 5quid that still works–and it goes a week between charging! Of course, I can’t tweet or update my FB…life’s critical elements are therefore beyond my reach when driving.
I’d settle for a signal 3 are a disaster, now they have 02, will 3 get better or 02 worse ?
We haven’t got 4G yet and no idea when we will.
We do have 4G, it is live.
I think I can live without the power of the xG network.
5g cant even get 2g ffs
Is there a network that uses Henry McG….?
have your say