A Year After Coup Attempt, Turkish Opposition Accuses Erdogan of Exploiting Crisis

In Turkey, while thousands are expected to attend unity marches marking the one-year anniversary of the failed coup attempt in which a military faction attempted to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, opposition party leaders and Erdogan’s critics are decrying the leader’s authoritarian governing methods.

In addition to the anniversary, the weekend is also marked by the government’s decision to fire nearly 7,400 teachers and other civil servants for alleged links to the coup. Erdogan declared a national state of emergency following the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, and it has yet to be lifted. The latest round of dismissals brings the total number of fired civil servants, who also include journalists and minority party leaders, to more than 110,000. More than 50,000 people have also been arrested for supposed links.

Opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu sharply criticized Erdogan’s government for continuing the state of emergency, which he called a “second coup” which punished large sections of the Turkish population. Last week, Kilicdaroglu led a March for Justice attended by tens of thousands demanding the release of those who have been detained and an end to the firings.

The government has said the dismissals have targeted people who are linked to Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based cleric who Erdogan accuses of masterminding the coup. Gulen has denied the allegations and critics have called the firings arbitrary.