Erdogan says Turkey soon will bring back death penalty
Thousands of people were arrested after failed coup in July
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the government will soon submit a bill to Parliament to reinstate the death penalty amid calls for the execution of the plotters of a failed coup in July.
Addressing crowds in Ankara on Saturday, Erdogan said he would ratify such a bill once it passed despite any objections it might spark in the West.
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Erdogan made the comments in response to public chants calling for the death penalty, which Turkey abolished in 2004 as part of its bid to join the European Union.
Erdogan said: "Soon, our government will bring (the bill) to Parliament...It's what the people say that matters, not what the West thinks."
The government has blamed the coup on the followers of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. The cleric denies involvement.