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DEBKAfile was founded by a team of journalists in June 2000 as an independent Internet Web site, providing an intelligence and security news service. July 21, 2016, 8:52 AM (IDT)
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan announced a three-month national state of emergency on Wednesday night and vowed to bring to justice everyone involved in last week's attempted coup against him. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he repeated his accusation that the coup attempt was planned by opposition leader Fethullah Gulen, who is living in exile in the US. Erdogan also said French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, who had called on Erdogan to show restraint, should “mind his own business” and not intervene in Turkish affairs. Regarding the 60,000 people arrested nationwide including members of the police, the intelligence agencies, the civil service and every branch of the military, Erdogan said “every step is taken within the law.”
In addition, Erdogan claimed Wednesday night that the US would be making a very big mistake if it does not extradite Gulen. He asserted that foreign countries might have plotted against him, specifically accusing Egyptian President Abdel Fatteh Al-Sisi of being a “coup plotter”.
Meanwhile, the Turkish security forces continued their search for additional rebels who have yet to be captured. Warplanes were sent to the Aegean Sea to locate and attack boats carrying rebels who fled by sea.
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