ISTANBUL (AP) – A large crowd blocked access overnight to a Turkish military base in the capital amid nervousness following last week’s failed coup attempt.
The streets of Turkey’s major cities were quiet Friday, a day after Turkish lawmakers approved a three-month state of emergency that allows the government to extend detention times and issue decrees without parliamentary approval.
However, in a sign of the underlying tensions in the country, protesters went to the Etimesgut military base in Ankara late Thursday and parked trucks and a bulldozer outside – possibly for fear that tanks might try to leave the facility.
It was not clear what sparked the tension and power to the base appeared to have been cut.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says the state of emergency will counter threats to Turkish democracy.