ISTANBUL/ANKARA - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed Saturday to carry out harsh measures against alleged putschists, stressing he would seek to bring back the death penalty, during a mass rally on a bridge in Istanbul attended by hundreds of thousands. "Those traitors will always be remembered with hatred," Erdogan said, adding that Turkey "never hesitates to crush the heads of those who betray." Erdogan also took part in late-night commemorations in Ankara for those who died in the attempted coup, while opposition parliamentarians boycotted the event. The CHP leader last week held a rally with hundreds of thousands of supporters, demanding a return to the rule of law. The events on the night of the abortive coup left hundreds of people dead, including civilians who took to the streets to confront the putschists.

Source: The China Post July 16, 2017 02:26 UTC