Turkey coup attempt: Confusion over general's 'confession'

Akin Ozturk was among 70 generals and admirals being detained, Anadolu reported

There are conflicting reports about whether a former Turkish air force commander has confessed to planning Friday's attempted military coup.

At least 232 people died and 1,400 were wounded in the ensuing violence, and there have been mass arrests. The state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Gen Akin Ozturk as telling interrogators he had "acted with intention to stage a coup".


But two private broadcasters said the general had denied playing a role. NTV quoted him as saying: "I am not someone who has planned or directed the coup attempt... I don't know who did."

Anadolu said he was one of 112 generals and admirals who had been detained. Fifty had been remanded in custody pending trial, it added.

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The interior ministry also reportedly dismissed almost 9,000 police officers on Monday, as part of a purge of officials suspected of involvement. That followed the arrest of 6,000 military personnel and suspension of almost 3,000 judges over the weekend.

Turkey's Western allies have expressed concern at the crackdown and urged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to respond in a measured way. German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Mr Erdogan on Monday that Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union would be over if he carried through on a threat to reinstate the death penalty.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg praised the great courage of the Turkish people, but added that a valued ally had to ensure full respect for democracy.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meanwhile dismissed as "unacceptable" a claim by the EU enlargement commissioner, Johannes Hahn, that the government in Ankara had drawn up arrest lists before the coup attempt.

The government has blamed the coup attempt on supporters of a US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen.
Mr Gulen has denied any involvement and suggested the coup may have been staged itself.