Turkey ordered the detention of 42 journalists on Monday under a crackdown following a failed coup that has targeted more than 60,000 people, drawing fire from the European Union. The arrests or suspensions of soldiers, police, judges and civil servants in response to the July 15-16 putsch have raised concerns among rights groups and Western countries, who fear President Tayyip Erdogan is capitalizing on it to tighten his grip on power. EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker questioned Ankara's long-standing aspiration to join the EU. "I believe that Turkey, in its current state, is not in a position to become a member any time soon and not even over a longer period," Juncker said on French television France 2. Juncker also said that if Turkey reintroduces the death penalty — something the government has said it must consider, responding to calls from supporters at public rallies for the coup leaders to be executed — it would stop the EU accession process immediately. Responding to Juncker's comments, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told Haberturk TV that Europe cannot threaten Turkey regarding the death penalty. NTV reported that among the 42 journalists subject to arrest warrants was well-known commentator and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak. State-run Turkish Airlines said it had fired 211 employees, citing their links to a religious movement Erdogan has blamed for the attempted putsch. Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said that ties with Washington will be affected if it fails to extradite Fethullah Gulen. He said he would hold meetings with political and judiciary officials during a coming visit to the United States. Erdogan has accused Gulen, his former ally, of attempting to build a "parallel network" of supporters within the military, police, judiciary, civil service, education and media with the aim of toppling the state. "They are traitors," Erdogan told Reuters in an interview last week. He described Gulen's network as "like a cancer" and said he would treat them like a "separatist terrorist organization" and root them out, wherever they may be. Ankara is increasingly expressing frustration over what it says in the lack of solidarity from Western partners in the aftermath of the coup. source: Reuters
