After Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan claimed that a coup had been carried out to try to unseat him a year ago, President Erdogan declared a state of emergency which has continued to this day. The Turkish government declared on Monday that they would extend the status for another three months. Initially, the Erdogan-led government made this request to parliament which is already under the majority of Erdogan's AK Party.

Erdogan staging alleged coup for power grab

The request follows the anniversary of the claimed (and failed) coup attempt which has resulted in the arrest of a reported 50,000 people and the suspension of 150,000 more.

All detained were the result of frequent crackdowns on Erdogan's opposition since the failed coup attempt. Erdogan has consistently accused the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen and his supporters of terrorism and of masterminding the alleged coup. But many have also expressed skepticism that there had even been a coup at all, saying that it was staged by Erdogan in order for him to seize more power over the country.

At the beginning of the year, Erodgan submitted a draft to the Parliament's Constitutional Commission that would take powers away from them and redirect them to the President. There was little to no resistance against the request as the Turkish President had the support of the conservative parties in parliament.

This was especially true as he had lawmakers, judges, and others from opposition parties arrested after the coup and accused of being Gulenists, or followers of Fethullah Gulen. Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister said in Parliament on Monday that the state of emergency rule had helped get rid of the Gulen network in their country.

Turkey defies the European Union (EU)

The Deputy Prime Minister said that the reason for extending the status for another three months was because there are still Gulenists hiding throughout the country. In a recent report, human rights organizers from Amnesty International were detained and accused of conducting terrorist activities.

In a decree that the government released on Friday, July 14, Amnesty International said that 7,000 police officers, civil servants, and academics had been dismissed. The situation, as well as the state of emergency, has created some tension with the European Union.

For years Turkey has been trying to join the EU but reports of Erdogan's increased crackdown has threatened the country's process to join. During the ceremonies for the anniversary last week, Erdogan said they would continue to go after Gulenists and even suggested that his government could bring back the death penalty and that they would decapitate terrorists. Certainly, this would create more issues with joining the EU as they require an abolishment of the death penalty in order to join.

Erdogan also attended the G20 Summit this year where he suggested that Turkey might remove themselves from the Paris Climate Agreement. Afterwards, he apparently expressed his disappointment over the summit.
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