Turkey ends state of emergency imposed after failed 2016 coup

ISTANBUL - Turkey on Thursday lifted a state of emergency, two years after a failed 2016 coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish media announced the news in what can be called a major development after Erdogan was reelected as president of the country earlier this year.

Turkey elections: Tayyip Erdogan wins presidential race

"To enact a state of emergency, the government must foresee serious indications of widespread violence which may interfere with the democratic environment or basic constitutional rights and freedoms of its citizens," a media outlet reported.

A state of emergency, which restricts some personal freedoms and allows the government to bypass parliament with emergency decrees, was declared on July 20, 2016, after the deadly coup attempt that left at least 290 people dead and more than 1,400 injured in a chaotic night of violence.

President Erdogan was hundreds of miles away at a seaside resort when he got information about the coup. Following the attempt, he appeared to address the nation via FaceTime

Erdogan blamed the coup was orchestrated by his former ally, US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, and has waged a sweeping crackdown on the preacher’s followers in Turkey.

The United Nations says some 160,000 people have been detained and nearly as many more, including teachers, judges and soldiers, sacked.

Erdogan Wins Elections

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan secured a comfortable lead in t a tightly-contested presidential election in June this year

Erdogan, who has led Turkey for the past 15 years, bagged around 53% of the vote, while the runner-up in the contest, Muharrem Ince, received 30.8% and the only female candidate, Meral Aksener, 7.4%, international media reported.

Speaking on national television, Erdogan said: “The nation has entrusted to me the responsibility of the presidency and the executive duty.

“I hope nobody will try to cast a shadow on the results and harm democracy in order to hide their own failure.”