US, EU warn Turkey on coup crackdown

BRUSSELS: The United States and European Union on Monday sternly warned Turkey to respect the rule of law after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government launched a massive crackdown following the failed coup.

Germany and the EU also said any move by Turkey to reinstate the death penalty for the coup plotters would derail Ankara’s longstalled membership bid.

US Secretary of State John Kerry and EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said that Friday’s attempted putsch was “no excuse” for excessive action, as Turkish authorities said they had arrested over 7,500 people and sacked more than 9,000.

“We will certainly support bringing the perpetrators of the coup to justice but we also caution against a reach that goes well beyond that,” said Kerry.