Turkey extends emergency rule by three more months

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday that Turkey's emergency rule will be extended by an additional three months, media reports said.

Kurtulmus told reporters the cabinet followed the National Security Council's advice to extend the state of emergency, Xinhua cited Anadolu news agency as saying.

Turkey's National Security Council, which convened for a nearly six-hour meeting on last Wednesday in Ankara under President Erdogan's direction, recommended that the state of emergency be extended beyond its initial three-month period when it expires in October.

The state of emergency was declared on July 20 after the deadly coup attempt, which left more than 240 people dead and about 2,200 others injured.

According to the Turkish constitution, a state of emergency can be declared for a maximum period of six months.

Meanwhile, the deputy prime minister said the government has submitted a file on the arrest of the leader of Gulenist Terror Group (FETO), Fetullah Gulen, who resided in the US and is accused of masterminding the failed coup attempt.

"Turkey expects the US authorities to do what is necessary on extradition of the figure leading FETO," he said.

--IANS

sku/