Turkey PM says 161 dead in coup bid, almost 3,000 heldANKARA: Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Saturday 161 people were killed in the coup attempt against the government, with 2,839 soldiers now detained on suspicion of involvement. “Whichever country is behind him is not a friend of Turkey and in a serious war against Turkey,” he added. Yildirim, speaking outside his Cankaya palace in Ankara and flanked by top general Hulusi Akar who was held during the coup attempt, also described the putsch bid as a “black stain” on Turkish democracy. Yildirim blamed the coup attempt on the supporters of US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara has for years accused of working to overthrow the authorities and wants to see brought to justice. The toll 161 did not include the assailants, he emphasized.

Source: Manila Times July 16, 2016 09:56 UTC