Turkey may have to build new courthouses to cope with the thousands of prosecutions over July’s failed coup, the country’s Justice minister has said.
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Turkey may have to build new courthouses to cope with the thousands of prosecutions over July’s failed coup, the country’s Justice minister has said.
Bekir Bozdag told Turkey’s NTV television the number of arrests following the botched attempt to topple President Tayyip Erdogan had reached 32,000. A new court house is already being built near Ankara.
Bekir Bozdag, Turkish Justice Minister:
“Of course, the process is still on-going. There may be some new arrests, but also perhaps some releases with under judicial control or total releases during this process, in the framework of the evidence and information gathered during the investigation.”
The Turkish Justice Minister also said a total of 70,000 people have been questioned on suspicion of having links to US based cleric Fethullah Gullen. Ankara says he masterminded the coup.
Bozdag said US officials will respond to a demand to arrest and extradite Gullen in the next couple days.