Turkey Declares 3-Month State of Emergency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 20 July declared a three-month state of emergency in Turkey in order to hunt down all those deemed to be behind an attempted coup. The announcement followed long meetings of Turkey’s national security council and cabinet chaired by Erdogan at the presidential palace. Turkey’s parliament on 22 July ratified a motion endorsing the government’s declaration of a three-month state of emergency by a vote of 346 for, 115 against.
The state of emergency was needed “in order to remove swiftly all the elements of the terrorist organisation involved in the coup attempt,” he said at the presidential palace in Ankara. Turkey’s government has said the attempted coup was organised by followers of U.S.-based Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating into Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming a ‘parallel state’.
Meanwhile, Turkey has formed a state of emergency coordination committee chaired by Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, according to the Official Gazette. The Prime Ministry’s circular about the committee was published in the gazette on 23 July. The committee will have representatives from Turkish ministries of interior, justice, labor and social security, foreign affairs, finance, defense and national education. The Prime Ministry’s undersecretary will also participate in the body.