Turkey's Erdogan dismisses Western criticism of post-coup crackdown

Says countries that should be praising Turkey for putting down the putsch were instead standing 'by the plotters'

ISTANBUL:

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Friday dismissed Western criticism of mass detentions after a failed coup and said countries that should be praising Turkey for putting down the attempted putsch were instead standing "by the plotters".

Erdogan and the government blamed US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen for orchestrating the coup attempt. Tens of thousands of his suspected followers in the military, police, judiciary, academia, civil service and other institutions have been suspended, detained or put under investigation.

Erdogan said the numbers of people detained would rise if more were found to have been supporting the plot.