Turkish President Erdogan to drop charges against all accused of insulting him

The Turkish president has said he will drop all lawsuits against those charged with insulting him following a failed coup.

Speaking at an event in Turkey’s capital commemorating those killed and wounded during the unsuccessful military coup on 15 July, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was withdrawing all lawsuits for insults against his person as a one-off gesture.

Hundreds of people have been charged with insulting the president, including on social media.

“For one time only, I will be forgiving and withdrawing all cases against the many disrespects and insults that have been levelled against me,” he said in Ankara on Friday.

“I feel that if we do not make use of this opportunity correctly, then it will give people the right to hold us by the throat.

“So I feel that all fractions of society, politicians first and foremost, will behave accordingly with this new reality, this new sensitive situation before us.”

Despite this, Mr Erdogan also condemned Western countries for failing to show solidarity with Turkey over the failed coup and rejected criticism of purges currently taking place in Turkey’s military and state institutions.

More than 60,000 people have been detained, removed or suspended over links with the attempted coup.

"The attitude of many countries and their officials over the coup attempt in Turkey is shameful in the name of democracy," said Mr Erdogan.

"Any country and any leader who does not worry about the life of Turkish people and our democracy as much as they worry about the fate of coupists are not our friends.”

Turkey’s Western allies have condemned the coup in which Erdogan said 237 people were killed and more than 2,100 wounded, however the President has faced criticism over the scale of the crackdown in the aftermath.

Images of detained soldiers with apparent injuries have worried civil rights groups.

The purges have targeted those believed to be linked to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of masterminding the failed coup. However critics have said Mr Erdogan is using the measures to crack down on any dissent.

On Thursday, Turkey announced changes in its armed forces with the promotion of 99 colonels to the rank of general or admiral as well as the dismissal of nearly 1,700 military personnel over their alleged links to the coup.

Purges have also hit government ministries, schools and universities, the police, civil service, media and business.

Seventeen journalists were formally arrested on Friday over their alleged links with the coup plot while four others were released. Arrest warrants for dozens of others were issued earlier this week.

The number of public sector workers removed from their posts since the coup attempt now stands at more than 66,000, including some 43,000 people in education, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported on Friday.

Additional reporting by agencies