Turkish president backs return of death penalty

Turkey's president has said he would bring back the death penalty if the country's parliament voted for it following last month's failed coup.

Tayyip Erdogan made the comment in a speech to more than one million people at an anti-coup rally in Istanbul.

More than one million people turned out for the anti-coup rally. Credit: Reuters

Erdogan blames US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen for the coup attempt three weeks ago.

He said Gulen's network - which has now been listed as a terror organisation in Turkey - "must be destroyed" within the framework of the law.

Gulen has denied any role in the coup plot.

Fethullah Gulen lives in self-imposed exile in America. Credit: Reuters

More than 270 people were killed in the attempted overthrow of the government on July 15.

Around 6,000 people were arrested, 8,000 police officers were suspended and thousands of military personnel and media were dismissed from their jobs in the aftermath.