In a groundbreaking development, the United Nations' first independent investigator to visit the US&nbsp;detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Irish law professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, has revealed that the 30 men held there continue to endure ongoing cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in violation of international law.

Presenting her comprehensive 23-page report to the UN&nbsp;Human Rights Council, Ní Aoláin emphasised that while the 2001 attacks were indeed crimes against humanity, the subsequent use of torture and rendition by the United States against alleged perpetrators and their associates constituted a grave breach of international human rights law, reported the Associated Press.

This, she argued, not only violated the rights of the detainees but also hindered the pursuit of justice, as information obtained through torture is inadmissible in trials.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-transfers-two-guantanamo-bay-detainees-abdul-rabbani-and-mohammed-rabbani-to-pakistan-565645">US transfers two Guantanamo Bay detainees, Abdul Rabbani and Mohammed Rabbani, to Pakistan</a>

<h2>Guantanamo Bay visit a first for UN</h2>

Ní Aoláin's visit to Guantanamo Bay marked the first time a US&nbsp;administration had permitted a UN&nbsp;investigator to examine the facility since its establishment in 2002. Commending this as a positive step towards addressing challenging human rights issues, the professor called upon other countries that restrict UN&nbsp;access to detention facilities to follow suit. During her visit, she was granted unrestricted access to the detention centre, including meetings with both "high-value" and "non-high value" detainees.

In response to the report, the United States submitted a statement to the Human Rights Council, emphasising that the investigator's findings were solely her own and expressing significant disagreement with many of her factual and legal assertions.

While Ní Aoláin acknowledged that some improvements had been made in the confinement of detainees, she voiced serious concerns about the ongoing detention of the 30 men, highlighting their severe insecurity, suffering, and anxiety. She provided examples of constant surveillance, forced removal from cells, and unjust use of restraints as manifestations of their mistreatment. Many detainees she encountered displayed profound psychological distress, including anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, stress, depression, and dependency.

The professor expressed grave concern about the US&nbsp;government's failure to provide adequate torture rehabilitation programs for the detainees. She criticised the existing specialist care and facilities at Guantanamo, deeming them inadequate to address the complex and urgent mental and physical health issues faced by the detainees, such as permanent disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, gastrointestinal and urinary problems. Additionally, she shed light on the deprivation of support from families and communities, the lengthy detention without trial or charges, hunger strikes, force-feeding, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and premature ageing experienced by the detainees.

Also watch |&nbsp;20 years since the opening of Guantanamo Bay, the infamous US prison

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Ní Aoláin repeatedly underscored her profound concern that 19 of the 30 men still held at Guantanamo had never been charged with any crime, despite spending two decades in US&nbsp;custody. She argued that their continued detention stemmed from authorities' unwillingness to face the consequences of torture and ill-treatment rather than any ongoing threat posed by the detainees. The professor emphasised that the use of information obtained through torture in trials is prohibited, and she highlighted the United States' commitment to refraining from such practices.

Furthermore, Ní Aoláin identified fundamental fair trial and due process deficiencies in the military commission system, expressing concern about the extensive secrecy surrounding judicial and administrative proceedings. She concluded that the US&nbsp;had failed.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a groundbreaking development, the United Nations' first independent investigator to visit the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Irish law professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, has revealed that the 30 men held there continue to endure ongoing cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in violation of international law.

In a groundbreaking development, the United Nations' first independent investigator to visit the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Irish law professor Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, has revealed that the 30 men held there continue to endure ongoing cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment in violation of international law. Presenting her comprehensive 23-page report to the UN Human Rights Council, Ní Aoláin emphasised that while the 2001 attacks were indeed crimes against humanity, the subsequent use of torture and rendition by the United States against alleged perpetrators and their associates constituted a grave breach of international human rights law, reported the Associated Press. This, she argued, not only violated the rights of the detainees but also hindered the pursuit of justice, as information obtained through torture is inadmissible in trials. Also read | US transfers two Guantanamo Bay detainees, Abdul Rabbani and Mohammed Rabbani, to Pakistan Guantanamo Bay visit a first for UN Ní Aoláin's visit to Guantanamo Bay marked the first time a US administration had permitted a UN investigator to examine the facility since its establishment in 2002. Commending this as a positive step towards addressing challenging human rights issues, the professor called upon other countries that restrict UN access to detention facilities to follow suit. During her visit, she was granted unrestricted access to the detention centre, including meetings with both "high-value" and "non-high value" detainees. In response to the report, the United States submitted a statement to the Human Rights Council, emphasising that the investigator's findings were solely her own and expressing significant disagreement with many of her factual and legal assertions. While Ní Aoláin acknowledged that some improvements had been made in the confinement of detainees, she voiced serious concerns about the ongoing detention of the 30 men, highlighting their severe insecurity, suffering, and anxiety. She provided examples of constant surveillance, forced removal from cells, and unjust use of restraints as manifestations of their mistreatment. Many detainees she encountered displayed profound psychological distress, including anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, stress, depression, and dependency. The professor expressed grave concern about the US government's failure to provide adequate torture rehabilitation programs for the detainees. She criticised the existing specialist care and facilities at Guantanamo, deeming them inadequate to address the complex and urgent mental and physical health issues faced by the detainees, such as permanent disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, gastrointestinal and urinary problems. Additionally, she shed light on the deprivation of support from families and communities, the lengthy detention without trial or charges, hunger strikes, force-feeding, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and premature ageing experienced by the detainees. Also watch | 20 years since the opening of Guantanamo Bay, the infamous US prison Ní Aoláin repeatedly underscored her profound concern that 19 of the 30 men still held at Guantanamo had never been charged with any crime, despite spending two decades in US custody. She argued that their continued detention stemmed from authorities' unwillingness to face the consequences of torture and ill-treatment rather than any ongoing threat posed by the detainees. The professor emphasised that the use of information obtained through torture in trials is prohibited, and she highlighted the United States' commitment to refraining from such practices. Furthermore, Ní Aoláin identified fundamental fair trial and due process deficiencies in the military commission system, expressing concern about the extensive secrecy surrounding judicial and administrative proceedings. She concluded that the US had failed. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

First UN investigator at US detention facility Guantanamo exposes cruel treatment of detainees

A Guantanamo Bay inmate alleges he was tortured by his American captors after the September 11 attacks and will file a complaint with the UN Friday over his unending 19-year detention, his lawyer said.

Abu&nbsp;Zubaydah's lawyer Helen Duffy said the complaint will be filed with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention against the United States and six other countries, asking for intervention in his case.

The 50-year-old Saudi-born Palestinian, whose real name is Zayn&nbsp;al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, was detained in Pakistan in March 2002 on suspicions he was a senior member of Al-Qaeda who helped plan the 9/11 attacks.

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According to his lawyer, he was handed over to the CIA, which moved him through a series of secret&nbsp;units in several countries where he was brutally interrogated.

He was the first of a series of detainees to go through waterboarding and other now-banned techniques as US intelligence sought to force information from him about others in the jihadist group.

In 2003 he was transferred to Guantanamo, where he has stayed ever since. US officials have since admitted he was never a member of Al-Qaeda or an important figure among Islamic extremists.

Moreover, one of his interrogators, an FBI agent, has said that he cooperated easily before he was tortured so that he had nothing to add once he was subjected to the CIA's extreme interrogation methods, which included 83 instances of waterboarding.

Like most others among the last 40 detainees in Guantanamo,&nbsp;Abu&nbsp;Zubaydah&nbsp;has never been charged and faces indefinite imprisonment.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-shuts-secret-guantanamo-prison-unit-moves-prisoners-to-another-nearby-camp-375521">US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp</a>

"His detention has no lawful basis in international law (and) offends all principles of due process," Duffy said in a statement.

The petition will ask the UN agency to find that the United States is obliged to release him.&nbsp;

It also demands that six other countries involved in his disappearance and rendition;&nbsp;Britain, Thailand, Afghanistan, Lithuania, Poland and Morocco, use their powers to secure his release and relocation.&nbsp;

"After 19 years of arbitrary detention, the only appropriate legal remedy for&nbsp;Abu&nbsp;Zubaydah&nbsp;is release and rehabilitation," Duffy said.

She added that how the administration of US President Joe Biden responds to the complaint "will be a test of its newly stated commitment to international rule of law&nbsp;and human rights."

In a separate legal case, the US Supreme Court on Monday said it would review&nbsp;Abu&nbsp;Zubaydah's petition to subpoena two CIA consultants who oversaw post-9/11 torture operations.

That petition is related to an investigation in Poland into torture conducted by the CIA at a black site in that country, including on&nbsp;Abu&nbsp;Zubaydah.

A Guantanamo Bay inmate alleges he was tortured by his American captors after the September 11 attacks and will file a complaint with the UN Friday over his unending 19-year detention, his lawyer said.

A Guantanamo Bay inmate alleges he was tortured by his American captors after the September 11 attacks and will file a complaint with the UN Friday over his unending 19-year detention, his lawyer said. Abu Zubaydah's lawyer Helen Duffy said the complaint will be filed with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention against the United States and six other countries, asking for intervention in his case. The 50-year-old Saudi-born Palestinian, whose real name is Zayn al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, was detained in Pakistan in March 2002 on suspicions he was a senior member of Al-Qaeda who helped plan the 9/11 attacks. Also read | 10 years after death, al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden still mobilises jihadists According to his lawyer, he was handed over to the CIA, which moved him through a series of secret units in several countries where he was brutally interrogated. He was the first of a series of detainees to go through waterboarding and other now-banned techniques as US intelligence sought to force information from him about others in the jihadist group. In 2003 he was transferred to Guantanamo, where he has stayed ever since. US officials have since admitted he was never a member of Al-Qaeda or an important figure among Islamic extremists. Moreover, one of his interrogators, an FBI agent, has said that he cooperated easily before he was tortured so that he had nothing to add once he was subjected to the CIA's extreme interrogation methods, which included 83 instances of waterboarding. Like most others among the last 40 detainees in Guantanamo, Abu Zubaydah has never been charged and faces indefinite imprisonment. Also read | US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp "His detention has no lawful basis in international law (and) offends all principles of due process," Duffy said in a statement. The petition will ask the UN agency to find that the United States is obliged to release him. It also demands that six other countries involved in his disappearance and rendition; Britain, Thailand, Afghanistan, Lithuania, Poland and Morocco, use their powers to secure his release and relocation. "After 19 years of arbitrary detention, the only appropriate legal remedy for Abu Zubaydah is release and rehabilitation," Duffy said. She added that how the administration of US President Joe Biden responds to the complaint "will be a test of its newly stated commitment to international rule of law and human rights." In a separate legal case, the US Supreme Court on Monday said it would review Abu Zubaydah's petition to subpoena two CIA consultants who oversaw post-9/11 torture operations. That petition is related to an investigation in Poland into torture conducted by the CIA at a black site in that country, including on Abu Zubaydah.

Guantanamo detainee Abu Zubaydah to file complaint with UN agency

The secret US Guantanamo Bay prisoners belonging to Camp 7 were moved to Camp 5 by the US military after it fell into disrepair. The camps were initially set up in December 2006 for prisoners held in clandestine CIA detention facilities.

The secret US Guantanamo Bay prisoners belonging to Camp 7 were moved to Camp 5 by the US military after it fell into disrepair. The camps were initially set up in December 2006 for prisoners held in clandestine CIA detention facilities. The camp has been shrouded in secrecy with no journalists allowed in the camp facilities. The once dreaded camp held prisoners allegedly linked to September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. President Joe Biden had said recently that he wants to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects before the end of his term. However, former President Donald Trump had expressed his willingness to keep the Guantanamo prison open as part of his 2016 election campaign promise. Biden's Democratic predecessor Obama had pitched for closing the camps but could not reach a deal with Congress when Biden was his vice-president. The US had opened the Guantanamo Bay camp as part of its drive to "war on terror" after the 2001 terror attacks and it had held the Pakistani Khaled Sheikh Mohammed who was the self-proclaimed mastermind of the September 11 attacks. The camp was built on a naval base belonging to the US on the eastern tip of Cuba. The US military had earlier denied that camp 7 even existed, it moved the prisoners to camp 5 “safely and without incident” secretly without giving details. The US Southern Command in a statement said the transfer of the prisoners was made to “increase operational efficiency and effectiveness.” The small enclave was ceded by Cuba to the United States in 1903 after the US government helped the nation in the war against the Spaniards. US Spokeswoman Jen Psaki had said that the Biden administration intends to close the prisoner centre, adding, "That certainly is our goal and our intention. Paski asserted that the US government was working with the National Security Council to "assess the current state of play that the Biden administration has, we've inherited from the previous administration."

US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp

The newly-elected US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> aims to permanently close down the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison during his term, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/the-white-house">White House</a> assured on Friday.

"That certainly is our goal and our intention," said the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki when asked if President Biden is planning to shut down a Cuba prison.

She assured that Biden was working in cooperation with the National Security Council in order to "assess the current state of play that the Biden administration has — well, we've inherited from the previous administration."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-football-was-at-danger-during-capitol-riots-footage-reveals-363277" hreflang="en">US 'football' was at danger during Capitol riots, footage reveals</a>

This has come as a welcome change from the previous administration where the former President, Donald Trump, had willingly wanted to keep the Guantanamo prisons open to "fill it with bad guys".

Biden's assurance has come years after his first stint in the White House when Barack Obama was serving as the US President. The Obama administration had promised to release some detainees from the infamous prison but had failed to fulfil it as the administration could not succeed in working out a compromise with the Congress. The promises were made by the Obama administration with Biden as the Vice President.

Now, with Biden in the driving seat of the White House, he is hoping to fulfil that broken promise and probably shut down the prison, that is infamous for its inhumane treatment of the prisoners.

Th prison houses nearly 40 prisoners, as of now, who are considered to be too dangerous to be released, but their legal proceedings are ongoing, although delayed.

The newly-elected US President Joe Biden aims to permanently close down the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison during his term, the White House assured on Friday. "That certainly is our goal and our intention," said the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki when asked if President Biden is planning to shut down a Cuba prison.

The newly-elected US President Joe Biden aims to permanently close down the infamous Guantanamo Bay prison during his term, the White House assured on Friday. "That certainly is our goal and our intention," said the White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki when asked if President Biden is planning to shut down a Cuba prison. She assured that Biden was working in cooperation with the National Security Council in order to "assess the current state of play that the Biden administration has — well, we've inherited from the previous administration." Also read| US 'football' was at danger during Capitol riots, footage reveals This has come as a welcome change from the previous administration where the former President, Donald Trump, had willingly wanted to keep the Guantanamo prisons open to "fill it with bad guys". Biden's assurance has come years after his first stint in the White House when Barack Obama was serving as the US President. The Obama administration had promised to release some detainees from the infamous prison but had failed to fulfil it as the administration could not succeed in working out a compromise with the Congress. The promises were made by the Obama administration with Biden as the Vice President. Now, with Biden in the driving seat of the White House, he is hoping to fulfil that broken promise and probably shut down the prison, that is infamous for its inhumane treatment of the prisoners. Th prison houses nearly 40 prisoners, as of now, who are considered to be too dangerous to be released, but their legal proceedings are ongoing, although delayed.

Joe Biden aims to close down Guantanamo prison: White House spokeswoman

Turkey on Saturday marked one year since the defeat of the failed coup bid with mass nationwide rallies and a stern warning by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to &quot;chop off the heads&quot; of traitors.

The authorities have declared July 15 an annual national holiday of &quot;democracy and unity&quot;, billing the foiling of the putsch as a historic victory of Turkish democracy.

In an intense programme, Erdogan 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 hundreds of thousands by the bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul that was the centre of much of the fighting, Erdogan warned that Turkey was mulling reintroducing capital punishment.

&quot;First of all we will chop off the heads of those traitors,&quot; Erdogan said, reaffirming he would sign any passed by parliament bill on resuming executions.

Any move to restore capital punishment -- which Turkey abolished in 2004 -- would effectively end Ankara&#39;s European Union membership ambitions.

Erdogan also said the suspects being tried over the failed coup should wear uniform clothing like the notorious orange jumpsuits used at US military prison at Guantanamo Bay.

&quot;When they appear in court, let&#39;s make them appear in uniform suits like in Guantanamo,&quot; Erdogan said to cheers, before unveiling a memorial to the victims.

Many supporters carried the Turkish flag while others brandished pictures of the &quot;martyrs&quot; who died defeating the coup. A sea of people stretched from the bridge, which has since been renamed Bridge of the Martyrs of July 15.

Supporters chanted &quot;we are soldiers of Tayyip (Erdogan)&quot;, with some even brandishing nooses in a symbol of their support for the death penalty.

Across Turkey, people across Turkey will take part in &quot;democracy watches&quot;, rallies commemorating how people poured out into the streets to defeat the coup bid.

&#39;No price on independence&#39; 
 
Two hundred and forty nine people, not including the plotters, were killed when a disgruntled faction of the army sent tanks into the streets and war planes into the sky in a bid to overthrow Erdogan after one-and-a-half decades in power.

But they were thwarted within hours as the authorities regrouped and people poured into the streets in support of Erdogan, who blamed followers of his ally-turned-nemesis, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

&quot;We paid a price... but there is no price for the independence and future we obtained in return for that sacrifice,&quot; said Erdogan.

In the wake of the failed coup bid, authorities embarked on the biggest purge in Turkey&#39;s history, arresting 50,000 people and sacking almost three times as many. Erdogan also shored up his position by winning a referendum on enhancing his powers earlier this year.

In the latest dismissals, another 7,563 police, soldiers and other state employees were fired late Friday under the state of emergency that has been in place since July 20 last year.

&nbsp;&#39;Immorality&#39; 
 
Turkey&#39;s opposition put political disputes aside on the night of the putsch but the scale of the purge has intensified political divisions.

The celebrations come less than a week after the head of the Republican People&#39;s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu held the largest opposition rally in Turkey in years, pushing for &quot;justice&quot;.

&quot;Over the last year, the judicial proceedings... moved outside the framework of the law,&quot; Kilicdaroglu told the special session of parliament.

He also called for full clarity over what happened on the night of July 15, with questions still remaining over when the authorities first found out an uprising was afoot.

&quot;The details need to be made clear in the name of the martyrs and the heroes,&quot; he said.

But Erdogan slammed as an &quot;immorality&quot; opposition claims of a &quot;controlled coup&quot; which the authorities had known about in advance and then taken advantage of.

Gulen has always denied involvement and in a new statement Friday said the accusations were &quot;baseless, politically motivated slanders&quot; and slammed a &quot;witch hunt&quot; of Erdogan&#39;s critics.

&nbsp;&#39;Epic of July 15&#39; 
 
The scale of Saturday&#39;s nationwide commemorations is aimed at etching July 15, 2016 into the minds of Turks as a key date in the history of the modern state.

Giant posters designed by the presidency have sprung up across billboards in Istanbul and Ankara showing gaudy paintings that portray the key events of the coup night with the slogan &quot;the epic of July 15&quot;.

Public transport was free in Istanbul and Ankara over the weekend while mobile operator Turkcell has sent text messages to clients promising them a free extra gigabyte of data from July 15.

Illuminated anti-coup slogans have been hung between the minarets of some of Istanbul&#39;s greatest Ottoman mosques.

Erdogan will later return to Ankara to deliver a speech in front of parliament before unveiling a giant monument to those killed -- showing people holding up the Turkish star and crescent -- outside his palace.

The Turkish president said suspects being tried on suspicion of involvement in last year's failed coup should wear uniform clothing like the notorious orange jumpsuits used at US military prison at Guantanamo Bay

Turkey on Saturday marked one year since the defeat of the failed coup bid with mass nationwide rallies and a stern warning by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to "chop off the heads" of traitors. 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, Erdogan 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 hundreds of thousands by the bridge across the Bosphorus in Istanbul that was the centre of much of the fighting, Erdogan warned that Turkey was mulling reintroducing capital punishment. "First of all we will chop off the heads of those traitors," Erdogan said, reaffirming he would sign any passed by parliament bill on resuming executions. Any move to restore capital punishment -- which Turkey abolished in 2004 -- would effectively end Ankara's European Union membership ambitions. Erdogan also said the suspects being tried over the failed coup should wear uniform clothing like the notorious orange jumpsuits used at US military prison at Guantanamo Bay. "When they appear in court, let's make them appear in uniform suits like in Guantanamo," Erdogan said to cheers, before unveiling a memorial to the victims. Many supporters carried the Turkish flag while others brandished pictures of the "martyrs" who died defeating the coup. A sea of people stretched from the bridge, which has since been renamed Bridge of the Martyrs of July 15. Supporters chanted "we are soldiers of Tayyip (Erdogan)", with some even brandishing nooses in a symbol of their support for the death penalty. Across Turkey, people across Turkey will take part in "democracy watches", rallies commemorating how people poured out into the streets to defeat the coup bid. 'No price on independence' Two hundred and forty nine people, not including the plotters, were killed when a disgruntled faction of the army sent tanks into the streets and war planes into the sky in a bid to overthrow Erdogan after one-and-a-half decades in power. But they were thwarted within hours as the authorities regrouped and people poured into the streets in support of Erdogan, who blamed followers of his ally-turned-nemesis, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. "We paid a price... but there is no price for the independence and future we obtained in return for that sacrifice," said Erdogan. In the wake of the failed coup bid, authorities embarked on the biggest purge in Turkey's history, arresting 50,000 people and sacking almost three times as many. Erdogan also shored up his position by winning a referendum on enhancing his powers earlier this year. In the latest dismissals, another 7,563 police, soldiers and other state employees were fired late Friday under the state of emergency that has been in place since July 20 last year. 'Immorality' Turkey's opposition put political disputes aside on the night of the putsch but the scale of the purge has intensified political divisions. The celebrations come less than a week after the head of the Republican People's Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu held the largest opposition rally in Turkey in years, pushing for "justice". "Over the last year, the judicial proceedings... moved outside the framework of the law," Kilicdaroglu told the special session of parliament. He also called for full clarity over what happened on the night of July 15, with questions still remaining over when the authorities first found out an uprising was afoot. "The details need to be made clear in the name of the martyrs and the heroes," he said. But Erdogan slammed as an "immorality" opposition claims of a "controlled coup" which the authorities had known about in advance and then taken advantage of. Gulen has always denied involvement and in a new statement Friday said the accusations were "baseless, politically motivated slanders" and slammed a "witch hunt" of Erdogan's critics. 'Epic of July 15' The scale of Saturday's nationwide commemorations is aimed at etching July 15, 2016 into the minds of Turks as a key date in the history of the modern state. Giant posters designed by the presidency have sprung up across billboards in Istanbul and Ankara showing gaudy paintings that portray the key events of the coup night with the slogan "the epic of July 15". Public transport was free in Istanbul and Ankara over the weekend while mobile operator Turkcell has sent text messages to clients promising them a free extra gigabyte of data from July 15. Illuminated anti-coup slogans have been hung between the minarets of some of Istanbul's greatest Ottoman mosques. Erdogan will later return to Ankara to deliver a speech in front of parliament before unveiling a giant monument to those killed -- showing people holding up the Turkish star and crescent -- outside his palace.

Turkey coup anniversary: Erdogan threatens to 'chop off traitors' heads in speech