Turkish President Erdoğan threatens to 'rip heads off' of traitors

In an intense programme, Erdoğan attended a special session of parliament in Ankara, spoke to a mass rally in Istanbul and was set to return to the capital for more events before dawn
Sunday, 16 July 2017 16:55

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday threatened to "rip the heads off" of traitors, in a speech marking the first anniversary of the failed coup bid that aimed to oust him from power.

"First of all we will chop off the heads of those traitors," Erdogan told a rally in İstanbul, prompting cries from the crowds that capital punishment should be restored in Turkey. He reaffirmed "I will sign it" if parliament passes any bill on resuming executions.

"I don't look at what Hans and George say. I look at what Ahmet, Mehmet, Hasan, Hüseyin, Ayşe, Fatma and Hatice say," he said, to cheers from a flag-waving crowd.

The authorities have declared July 15 an annual national holiday of "democracy and unity", billing the foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish democracy.

In an intense programme, Erdoğan attended a special session of parliament in Ankara, spoke to a mass rally in Istanbul and was set to return to the capital for more events before dawn.

Speaking to a rally of thousands by the bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul that was the centre of much of the fighting, Erdoğan warned that Turkey was mulling reintroducing capital punishment.

Erdoğan also told the crowd that he wants hundreds of people who are on trial for plotting last year's failed coup to appear in court wearing the same type of outfit - similar to those that were worn by detainees at Guantanamo Bay. 

"These are still their good days. I have spoken with our prime minister and said 'when they appear in court, they should wear one type of outfit, like in Guantanamo," he said.
His comment came days after a former soldier who is on trial accused of trying to capture or kill Erdoğan on the night of the coup, appeared in court wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the word "hero," triggering an outcry.