Turkish interior ministry on Saturday said it was probing 10,000 people over suspected terror-related online activity or insulting the government officials on the social media.

The inquiries are part of the &quot;fight against terrorism, which continues with determination everywhere, including on social networks&quot;, the ministry said in a statement, news agency AFP reported.

Turkey has arrested more than 1,600 people suspected of &quot;propaganda or apologising for terrorism&quot; or &quot;insulting state officials&quot; in the past six months, the ministry said.

Turkey declared a state of emergency after a failed military coup in July and launched a wide-scale purge of opponents.

Turkish authorities have been accused of limiting internet access after major incidents to control the spread of information that could &quot;undermine state security&quot;.

Internet access was disrupted after the assassination of Andrei Karlov, Russia&#39;s ambassador to Turkey, on Monday. Twitter and YouTube have slowed since the publication of a video in which the Islamic State group purportedly burned alive two captured Turkish soldiers on Thursday.

An internet monitoring body, Turkey Blocks, also reported difficulties accessing virtual private networks which are routinely used to circumvent restrictions on access to social networks or websites, AFP said.

(With inputs from AFP)

The inquiries are part of the 'fight against terrorism, which continues with determination everywhere, including on social networks'

Turkish interior ministry on Saturday said it was probing 10,000 people over suspected terror-related online activity or insulting the government officials on the social media. The inquiries are part of the "fight against terrorism, which continues with determination everywhere, including on social networks", the ministry said in a statement, news agency AFP reported. Turkey has arrested more than 1,600 people suspected of "propaganda or apologising for terrorism" or "insulting state officials" in the past six months, the ministry said. Turkey declared a state of emergency after a failed military coup in July and launched a wide-scale purge of opponents. Turkish authorities have been accused of limiting internet access after major incidents to control the spread of information that could "undermine state security". Internet access was disrupted after the assassination of Andrei Karlov, Russia's ambassador to Turkey, on Monday. Twitter and YouTube have slowed since the publication of a video in which the Islamic State group purportedly burned alive two captured Turkish soldiers on Thursday. An internet monitoring body, Turkey Blocks, also reported difficulties accessing virtual private networks which are routinely used to circumvent restrictions on access to social networks or websites, AFP said. (With inputs from AFP)

Turkey investigates 10,000 over online 'terror' activity

Turkish authorities today&nbsp;pressed on with a ruthless crackdown against suspects in the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with 6,000 detained,&nbsp;including generals, that has sparked international concern. 
 
The government&#39;s control has been restored across Turkey and although a few groups of coup plotters are holding out in Istanbul, they no longer pose a risk, a senior official told Reuters today. 
 
There are also a few important members of the military who have not been captured, the official said, adding that they looked likely to be caught soon.

World leaders including US President Barack Obama have strongly condemned the attempted putsch but also urged Turkey to respect the rule of law in its aftermath, especially after pictures emerged showing the rough treatment of some coup plotters when arrested.

Justice minister Bekir Bozdag said today&nbsp;that around 6,000 had been detained and the number would rise.

&quot;The clean-up operations are continuing,&quot; he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency.

According to the government, 161 civilians and regular troops lost their lives when a group within the army sought to overthrow the authorities by seizing key strategic points in Istanbul and Ankara late Friday.

Over 100 coup plotters were also killed, the military has said.

The botched coup bid was the biggest challenge to Erdogan&#39;s rule in his 13 years as Prime Minister and now President. But he successfully mobilised supporters into the streets to face down the plotters.

Thousands responded late Saturday to a new call by the president to pour into the squares to celebrate the &quot;victory of democracy&quot; with mass rallies of flag-waving Turks reported in cities including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir.

Europe minister Omer Celik urged people to stay on the streets, writing on Twitter that the &quot;vigil for democracy&quot; continues. 
 
&#39;Respect rule of law&#39;

The Turkish authorities have made clear they will show no mercy in the wake of the coup, accusing the plotters of acting on behalf of Erdogan&#39;s arch enemy, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen.

Turkish television has shown images of captured suspects forced to lie face down on the tarmac after their arrest while AFP photographers have seen suspects roughly led away pursued by angry mobs.

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 the commander of the Malatya-based second army, Adem Huduti.

In an operation early today, authorities detained the commander of the garrison in the western town of Denizli, Ozhan Ozbakir, along with 51 other soldiers.

Turkey also detained a senior air force general and other officers accused of backing the failed coup at a key air base used by US forces for raids in Syria.

Brigadier air force general Bekir Ercan Van was detained along with over a dozen lower ranking officers on Saturday at the Incirlik air force base in southern Turkey.

Former chief of staff Ilker Basbug told Dogan news agency that Turkey should make a distinction between the coup planners and young soldiers &quot;of 20 years old who may have been mistaken&quot;.

The crackdown is however not restricted to the military and Anadolu said prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for a total of 2,745 judges and prosecutors across Turkey.

The entire investigation is being led by Ankara prosecutors and those arrested are suspected of belonging to Gulen&#39;s group, which Turkey dubs the &#39;Fethullahci Terror Organisation (FETO)&#39;.

Gulen&#39;s supporters say their group which they call Hizmet (Service) is entirely peaceful.

Obama has warned Turkey there is a &quot;vital need&quot; for all parties to &quot;act within the rule of law&quot; in the aftermath of the coup.

French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned Erdogan against using the failed putsch as a &quot;blank cheque&quot; to silence his opponents.

However there was no such concern from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called Erdogan to wish for a &quot;speedy restoration of strong constitutional order&quot;.

Erdogan and Putin, who were feuding over the shooting down of a Russian jet until last month, will meet in the first week of August, Anadolu said.
&#39;Extradite Gulen&#39;

Friday&#39;s putsch bid began with rebel F-16 jets screaming low over rooftops in Ankara, soldiers and tanks taking to the streets. Rebel troops also moved to block the two bridges across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul.

Turks have not seen such scenes since 1980 when the military led by general Kenan Evren ousted the government and many had no desire to revive these memories.

Erdogan has pinned the blame on Gulen, an erstwhile ally he accuses of running a &quot;parallel state&quot;, and called on Obama to extradite the reclusive preacher to face justice.

&quot;Mr President, I told you myself, either deport or hand over to us this person who lives in 400 acres of land in Pennsylvania,&quot; he told a triumphant rally in Istanbul late Saturday, carefully not referring to Gulen by name.

In an interview with Haberturk television, Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu went even further, saying: &quot;The United States is behind the coup&quot; and adding it had now to handover Gulen.

But Gulen has categorically denied any involvement in the plot and suggested it could have been staged by Erdogan himself.

Meanwhile, 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 is now been flown back to Turkey, a Turkish official said.

Istanbul authorities have sought to get life back to normal but Washington on Saturday warned citizens against travel to the country due to uncertainty after the coup bid. 
 
(AFP &amp; Reuters)

Government control restored. An official said a few coup plotters are holding out in Istanbul but they no longer pose a threat

Turkish authorities today pressed on with a ruthless crackdown against suspects in the failed coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with 6,000 detained, including generals, that has sparked international concern. The government's control has been restored across Turkey and although a few groups of coup plotters are holding out in Istanbul, they no longer pose a risk, a senior official told Reuters today. There are also a few important members of the military who have not been captured, the official said, adding that they looked likely to be caught soon. World leaders including US President Barack Obama have strongly condemned the attempted putsch but also urged Turkey to respect the rule of law in its aftermath, especially after pictures emerged showing the rough treatment of some coup plotters when arrested. Justice minister Bekir Bozdag said today that around 6,000 had been detained and the number would rise. "The clean-up operations are continuing," he was quoted as saying by the state-run Anadolu news agency. According to the government, 161 civilians and regular troops lost their lives when a group within the army sought to overthrow the authorities by seizing key strategic points in Istanbul and Ankara late Friday. Over 100 coup plotters were also killed, the military has said. The botched coup bid was the biggest challenge to Erdogan's rule in his 13 years as Prime Minister and now President. But he successfully mobilised supporters into the streets to face down the plotters. Thousands responded late Saturday to a new call by the president to pour into the squares to celebrate the "victory of democracy" with mass rallies of flag-waving Turks reported in cities including Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Europe minister Omer Celik urged people to stay on the streets, writing on Twitter that the "vigil for democracy" continues. 'Respect rule of law' The Turkish authorities have made clear they will show no mercy in the wake of the coup, accusing the plotters of acting on behalf of Erdogan's arch enemy, the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen. Turkish television has shown images of captured suspects forced to lie face down on the tarmac after their arrest while AFP photographers have seen suspects roughly led away pursued by angry mobs. 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 the commander of the Malatya-based second army, Adem Huduti. In an operation early today, authorities detained the commander of the garrison in the western town of Denizli, Ozhan Ozbakir, along with 51 other soldiers. Turkey also detained a senior air force general and other officers accused of backing the failed coup at a key air base used by US forces for raids in Syria. Brigadier air force general Bekir Ercan Van was detained along with over a dozen lower ranking officers on Saturday at the Incirlik air force base in southern Turkey. Former chief of staff Ilker Basbug told Dogan news agency that Turkey should make a distinction between the coup planners and young soldiers "of 20 years old who may have been mistaken". The crackdown is however not restricted to the military and Anadolu said prosecutors have issued arrest warrants for a total of 2,745 judges and prosecutors across Turkey. The entire investigation is being led by Ankara prosecutors and those arrested are suspected of belonging to Gulen's group, which Turkey dubs the 'Fethullahci Terror Organisation (FETO)'. Gulen's supporters say their group which they call Hizmet (Service) is entirely peaceful. Obama has warned Turkey there is a "vital need" for all parties to "act within the rule of law" in the aftermath of the coup. French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault warned Erdogan against using the failed putsch as a "blank cheque" to silence his opponents. However there was no such concern from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who called Erdogan to wish for a "speedy restoration of strong constitutional order". Erdogan and Putin, who were feuding over the shooting down of a Russian jet until last month, will meet in the first week of August, Anadolu said. 'Extradite Gulen' Friday's putsch bid began with rebel F-16 jets screaming low over rooftops in Ankara, soldiers and tanks taking to the streets. Rebel troops also moved to block the two bridges across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul. Turks have not seen such scenes since 1980 when the military led by general Kenan Evren ousted the government and many had no desire to revive these memories. Erdogan has pinned the blame on Gulen, an erstwhile ally he accuses of running a "parallel state", and called on Obama to extradite the reclusive preacher to face justice. "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 told a triumphant rally in Istanbul late Saturday, carefully not referring to Gulen by name. In an interview with Haberturk television, Labour Minister Suleyman Soylu went even further, saying: "The United States is behind the coup" and adding it had now to handover Gulen. But Gulen has categorically denied any involvement in the plot and suggested it could have been staged by Erdogan himself. Meanwhile, 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 is now been flown back to Turkey, a Turkish official said. Istanbul authorities have sought to get life back to normal but Washington on Saturday warned citizens against travel to the country due to uncertainty after the coup bid. (AFP & Reuters)

Turkey detains 6,000 in 'clean-up ops' after failed military coup, sparks international concern

US&nbsp;secretary of state John Kerry said on Saturday&nbsp;the United States had not received any request to extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, but was willing to assist in legitimate efforts to deal with plotters of Turkey&#39;s attempted coup.

The Turkish government said followers of Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States for years, were behind the attempted coup by a faction of the military on Friday.

Speaking during a trip to Luxembourg, Kerry said the US&nbsp;stands with the government of Turkey.

&quot;I talked directly with my foreign minister counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu last night at the time where things were still uncertain as to what was happening and expressed my confidence in him and the government and our readiness to be supportive,&quot; said Kerry.

Asked if the United States had received an extradition request, he said,&nbsp;&quot;No, we haven&#39;t received any request with respect to Mr Gulen. We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen, and obviously we invite the government of Turkey&nbsp;to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny and the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments appropriately and I am confident there will be some discussion about that.&quot;

Gulen denied playing any role in the attempted coup, which he condemned in a written statement.

Kerry said the United States understood that in Turkey &quot;things are now calm and order is being restored.&quot;

He said all US&nbsp;embassy personnel had been accounted for and the United States was working to determine that all of US&nbsp;citizens were taken care of and protected.

Kerry reiterated US&nbsp;support for the elected government.

&quot;The United States, without hesitation, squarely and unequivocally stands for democratic leadership, for the respect for a democratic elected leader, and for a constitutional process,&quot; he said.

He said that, as things stood, Turkey&#39;s cooperation in counter- terrorism efforts, in NATO, on Syria and in countering Islamic State had not been impaired.

A successful overthrow of Erdogan would have marked one of the biggest shifts in the Middle East in years, transforming a major US&nbsp;ally while war rages on its border.

A failed coup could still destabilise a NATO member that lies between the European Union and the chaos of Syria, with Islamic State bombers targeting Turkish cities and the government also at war with Kurdish separatists. 
 
(Reuters)

It, however, is willing to assist in legitimate efforts to deal with Gulen who has been living in self-imposed exile in the US for years

US secretary of state John Kerry said on Saturday the United States had not received any request to extradite Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, but was willing to assist in legitimate efforts to deal with plotters of Turkey's attempted coup. The Turkish government said followers of Gulen, who has been living in self-imposed exile in the United States for years, were behind the attempted coup by a faction of the military on Friday. Speaking during a trip to Luxembourg, Kerry said the US stands with the government of Turkey. "I talked directly with my foreign minister counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu last night at the time where things were still uncertain as to what was happening and expressed my confidence in him and the government and our readiness to be supportive," said Kerry. Asked if the United States had received an extradition request, he said, "No, we haven't received any request with respect to Mr Gulen. We fully anticipate that there will be questions raised about Mr Gulen, and obviously we invite the government of Turkey to present us with any legitimate evidence that withstands scrutiny and the United States will accept that and look at it and make judgments appropriately and I am confident there will be some discussion about that." Gulen denied playing any role in the attempted coup, which he condemned in a written statement. Kerry said the United States understood that in Turkey "things are now calm and order is being restored." He said all US embassy personnel had been accounted for and the United States was working to determine that all of US citizens were taken care of and protected. Kerry reiterated US support for the elected government. "The United States, without hesitation, squarely and unequivocally stands for democratic leadership, for the respect for a democratic elected leader, and for a constitutional process," he said. He said that, as things stood, Turkey's cooperation in counter- terrorism efforts, in NATO, on Syria and in countering Islamic State had not been impaired. A successful overthrow of Erdogan would have marked one of the biggest shifts in the Middle East in years, transforming a major US ally while war rages on its border. A failed coup could still destabilise a NATO member that lies between the European Union and the chaos of Syria, with Islamic State bombers targeting Turkish cities and the government also at war with Kurdish separatists. (Reuters)

US has not received 'plotter' Fethullah Gulen's extradition request from Turkey, says John Kerry

German Chancellor Angela Merkel today&nbsp;condemned &quot;in the strongest terms&quot; the failed coup in Turkey, but called on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deal with the plotters lawfully. 
 
The treatment &quot;of those responsible for the tragic events of last night can and should only be handled according to the rule of law,&quot; she said after the coup bid.&nbsp; 
 
Erdogan, who flew back from the holiday resort of Marmaris to a triumphant welcome from supporters at Istanbul&#39;s Ataturk Airport, denounced the coup attempt as &quot;treachery&quot;. 
 
&quot;They will pay a heavy price for this act of treason,&quot; Erdogan said of the putschists. &quot;We will not leave our country to occupiers.&quot; 
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the plotters were &quot;cowards&quot; who &quot;would get what they deserve.&quot; 
 
Addressing Erdogan, but not mentioning him by name, Merkel said that &quot;democracy, which respects everybody&#39;s rights and protects minorities, is the best foundation (for the rule of law)&quot;. 
 
Germany stands by &quot;all those who, in Turkey, defend democracy and the rule of law,&quot; she said, adding that political change should only take place through parliament. 
 
The attempted coup&nbsp;left over 250 dead. Reuters, however,&nbsp;has put the death toll at 161.&nbsp; 
 
(Agencies)

Addressing Erdogan, Merkel said that 'democracy, which respects everybody's rights and protects minorities, is the best foundation'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel today condemned "in the strongest terms" the failed coup in Turkey, but called on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to deal with the plotters lawfully. The treatment "of those responsible for the tragic events of last night can and should only be handled according to the rule of law," she said after the coup bid. Erdogan, who flew back from the holiday resort of Marmaris to a triumphant welcome from supporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, denounced the coup attempt as "treachery". "They will pay a heavy price for this act of treason," Erdogan said of the putschists. "We will not leave our country to occupiers." Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the plotters were "cowards" who "would get what they deserve." Addressing Erdogan, but not mentioning him by name, Merkel said that "democracy, which respects everybody's rights and protects minorities, is the best foundation (for the rule of law)". Germany stands by "all those who, in Turkey, defend democracy and the rule of law," she said, adding that political change should only take place through parliament. The attempted coup left over 250 dead. Reuters, however, has put the death toll at 161. (Agencies)

Angela Merkel condemns Turkey coup, urges Erdogan to deal with plotters lawfully