'Emergency decree only applies to failed coup attempt'

By Aynur Ekiz, Enes Kaplan and Kerem Kocalar

ANKARA

Turkey's ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party spokesman said on Monday that a new emergency decree guaranteeing immunity to civilians who thwarted last year's defeated coup attempt will only apply to July 15, 2016 and the day after.

Speaking to journalists at the party headquarters, Mahir Unal said saying that the immunity applies to present-day is disinformation.

Sunday's decree was misinterpreted by some social media users as a law which would allow civilians to engage in violence.

In southeastern Gaziantep province, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul reiterated that the decree applies to the night of the defeated coup and the following morning to ensure that legal action is not taken against people who went out of their houses to protect the country.

Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen staged last year's defeated coup attempt which left 250 martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Speaking about Turkish citizens who were arrested by Israeli forces, Gul said they will arrive in Turkey on Monday.

On Friday, Israeli police asked three people, two of them dual Belgian-Turkish citizens, to take off their Turkish flag T-shirts before entering Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to an eye witness.

Their refusal, followed by a brawl, resulted in the arrest.