Erdogan Back In Ankara As Thousands Hit By Turkey Purge

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published July 20, 2016 | 01:36 PM

ANKARA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th july,2016) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was Wednesday to chair a crunch security meeting in Ankara for the first time since the failed coup, with tens of thousands either detained or sacked from their jobs in a widening purge. The Turkish air force meanwhile launched their first strikes against targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq since the putsch aimed at unseating Erdogan, in a sign he has regained full control over the armed forces.

The coup represented the most serious threat to Erdogan's 13 year domination of Turkey, and the president has said he came within 15 minutes of being killed or kidnapped by the plotters before escaping. The putsch left over 300 dead and caused scenes of devastation, especially in Ankara where raids by F-16s and attack helicopters on strategic targets terrified residents and turned parts of parliament and the police headquarters to rubble.