Turkey’s prime minister Tayyip Erdogan has thwarted the military coup he suspected of plotting against him and has set a retrial of the officers he believes were involved in the coup.
In September, the Istanbul government convicted 330 military officers suspected of treason and sentenced some to 20 years in prison, said the Associated Press. On Thursday, Erdogan has set up another hearing in what the Associated Press and Reuters claims to be seems an act of spite against his rivals.
“There is not a problem for us about retrials as long as the legal basis is established,” said Erdogan. “In terms of regulations, we are ready to do what we can.”
Meanwhile, Erdogan has found another opponent against him. He accused his Islamist cleric Fethullah Gulen of attempting to gain power and creating a “state within a state.” Reuters notes that the two former allies are now taking stances against each other, accusing the other of manipulating the police.
Reuters says Gulen has been held under investigation. Though the cleric said he wanted to make peace, he noted after the investigation that such peace may not be possible. “The government must do what is necessary regarding this structure which questions its legitimacy and it will do,” he said. “All elements of the junta will be called to account one by one.”