Turkey rejects criticisms of state of emergency

ANKARA

Turkey's presidential spokesman has rejected criticisms that came after the declaration of a state of emergency following last Friday's failed coup.

"We will implement this [state of emergency] within the framework of the rule of law. There is nothing to affect daily life of people. The state will do whatever it takes to root out coup plotters," Ibrahim Kalin said in a live broadcast on the CNN Turk television channel.

Kalin added that France had also declared a state of emergency after attacks last November that killed 130 people across Paris.

"No one said 'Human rights are being lost in France or markets are collapsing'. Therefore, no one can tell Turkey something that could not be said to France," Kalin said.

Kalin also said the government stood by democracy, supremacy of law and freedom, adding: "Unlawfulness is out of question."

Turkey's parliament ratified a motion for a three-month state of emergency by a vote of 346 for, 115 against on Thursday.

The move came after last Friday's deadly coup attempt, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 1,530 others.

Turkey's government has said the attempted coup was organized by followers of U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through infiltrating into Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming a ‘parallel state’.

* Diyar Guldogan contributed to this report from Ankara.