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Recep Tayyip Erdogan

ISTANBUL. — Turkish authorities yesterday rounded up dozens of generals as well as senior judges and prosecutors accused of supporting a failed military coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The government has already said that almost 3 000 soldiers had been detained on suspicion of involvement in the putsch which began on Friday night, but faltered in the early hours of Saturday.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said yesterday Turkey had detained over 6 000 people over the coup plot and the number will rise.

“Now the clean-up operations are continuing. We have around 6 000 people detained. The number will increase above 6 000,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

A total of 265 people were killed in the attempted coup d’état in Turkey.

NTV television said 34 generals of various grades had been detained so far. They include senior figures like Erdal Ozturk, commander of the third army and commander of the Malatya-based second army Adem Huduti.

The authorities have been carrying out raids at military bases across Turkey in search of those suspected of supporting the coup.

The crackdown was however, not restricted to the military and Anadolu said prosecutors had issued arrest warrants for a total of 2 745 judges and prosecutors across Turkey.

Meanwhile, Press TV reported that the rounded up officials are being detained at a key air base used by US forces for raids in Syria.

Turkish newspapers, including Hurriyet Daily, said brigadier air force general Bekir Ercan Van was taken into custody Saturday along with over a dozen lower ranking at Incirlik Air Base in the southern province of Adana.

AFP quoted an unnamed Turkish official as saying that Ankara suspected Incirlik was used to refuel military aircraft hijacked by the putschists overnight Friday.

Incirlik is of strategic importance to Washington’s aerial military operations as it is home to A-10s, the most reliable manned aircraft the US uses in its military campaign in the two Arab states.

It is also one of six NATO sites in the region, which house tactical nuclear weapons.

President Barack Obama has warned Turkey there was a “vital need” for all parties to “act within the rule of law” in the aftermath of the coup, while French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned President Erdogan against using the failed putsch as a “blank cheque” to silence his opponents.

Turkey has demanded the extradition of eight people thought to have been involved in the putsch who landed in a Black Hawk military helicopter in Greece. The suspects are still in Greece, but the chopper itself has now been flown back to Turkey, a Turkish official said. — AFP/Agencies/HR.