Portside

Turkey’s hardline president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, unleashed a brutal purge of his enemies in the army and judiciary on Saturday after heading off an attempted military coup.

Erdoğan’s office put the death toll in street clashes and airborne dogfights between rebels and loyalists at 265. About 2,800 soldiers were arrested in a day of extraordinary drama that saw the putsch ruthlessly put down.

More than 2,700 judges were summarily dismissed for their alleged links to the coup’s leaders, while warrants were issued for the arrest of 140 supreme court members. The identity of the plotters remains unclear, but Erdoğan pointed the finger at Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen who lives in exile in the United States.

In a televised speech, Erdoğan called on Barack Obama to extradite Gülen. “Mr President, I told you myself, either deport or hand over to us this person who lives in 400 acres of land in Pennsylvania,” he said. “I told you that he was engaged in coup plots but I was not listened to. Now again today after the coup I say it again.”

US secretary of state John Kerry said he fully supported the Turkish administration, but hoped Erdoğan’s government would not exacerbate the situation. “We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen,” he said. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey … to present us with any legitimate evidence.”

In a rare interview in the US, Gülen accused Erdoğan of staging the coup. “I don’t believe that the world believes the accusations made by President Erdoğan,” he said. “There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against Gülen’s supporters].”

The attempted coup began on Friday night when a faction of the army seized airports, bridges, TV stations and military headquarters, before attacking the Turkish parliament, leaving the building charred and damaged.

But Erdoğan fought back after managing to send a message to supporters via a video-call with a private broadcaster, prompting thousands to wrest back state control with the help of the police and loyalists in the army.

US secretary of state John Kerry said he fully supported the Turkish administration, but hoped Erdoğan’s government would not exacerbate the situation. “We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen,” he said. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey … to present us with any legitimate evidence.”

In a rare interview in the US, Gülen accused Erdoğan of staging the coup. “I don’t believe that the world believes the accusations made by President Erdoğan,” he said. “There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against Gülen’s supporters].”

The attempted coup began on Friday night when a faction of the army seized airports, bridges, TV stations and military headquarters, before attacking the Turkish parliament, leaving the building charred and damaged.

But Erdoğan fought back after managing to send a message to supporters via a video-call with a private broadcaster, prompting thousands to wrest back state control with the help of the police and loyalists in the army.

US secretary of state John Kerry said he fully supported the Turkish administration, but hoped Erdoğan’s government would not exacerbate the situation. “We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen,” he said. “And obviously we would invite the government of Turkey … to present us with any legitimate evidence.”

In a rare interview in the US, Gülen accused Erdoğan of staging the coup. “I don’t believe that the world believes the accusations made by President Erdoğan,” he said. “There is a possibility that it could be a staged coup and it could be meant for further accusations [against Gülen’s supporters].”

The attempted coup began on Friday night when a faction of the army seized airports, bridges, TV stations and military headquarters, before attacking the Turkish parliament, leaving the building charred and damaged.

But Erdoğan fought back after managing to send a message to supporters via a video-call with a private broadcaster, prompting thousands to wrest back state control with the help of the police and loyalists in the army.