<p class="title">Turkey on Monday marked the third anniversary of a bloody attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against a backdrop of growing tensions with the West.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nearly 250 people were killed -- excluding the coup-plotters -- and over 2,000 were injured after a rogue military faction tried to wrest power from the president, but thousands took to the streets in response to Erdogan's call to defeat the uprising.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The anniversary comes at a difficult moment for Erdogan, faced with a weakened economy, worsening relations with NATO ally the United States, and a loss for his party in the recent Istanbul local election to a more unified opposition.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After laying flowers at a monument for coup victims at his presidential palace complex in Ankara, Erdogan took part in a tense ceremony at parliament, which was bombed during the attempted putsch.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He was scheduled later to give a speech in Istanbul and inaugurate a museum dedicated to the failed coup of July 15, 2016.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter that Turkey "sends a powerful message of unity and solidarity to the world: We will die but never let traitors and putschists destroy our country, our freedom and our dignity."</p>.<p class="bodytext">The day, known as "15 July" in Turkey, has become a national holiday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Relations with the West deteriorated after the coup bid, with Turkish officials accusing the West of not giving Ankara sufficient support.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At the same time, Erdogan has grown ever closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns in Europe and the United States.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Adding to the tension, Ankara has bought Russia's S-400 missile defence system and has drilled for gas and oil off Cyprus despite EU warnings.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ankara accuses former ally-turned-foe Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric exiled in the United States, of having ordered the attempted coup and lists his movement as a "terrorist" organisation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Some 8,000 military personnel took part in the bid to overthrow Erdogan, backed by 35 fighter jets, three boats, 37 helicopters and 74 tanks, according to state news agency Anadolu.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since 2016, tens of thousands of people have been detained while 150,000 public sector employees have been suspended or sacked over alleged links to Gulen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Anadolu reported Sunday that 110 suspected Gulen movement members have been extradited to Turkey from more than 20 countries.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Hundreds of life sentences have been handed down against accused putschists.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There are still almost daily police raids to capture suspects accused of ties to Gulen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Based in Pennsylvania, he strongly denies Ankara's claims. His movement rejects the "terrorist" tag, insisting it promotes education and moderate Islam.</p>
<p class="title">Turkey on Monday marked the third anniversary of a bloody attempt to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan against a backdrop of growing tensions with the West.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Nearly 250 people were killed -- excluding the coup-plotters -- and over 2,000 were injured after a rogue military faction tried to wrest power from the president, but thousands took to the streets in response to Erdogan's call to defeat the uprising.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The anniversary comes at a difficult moment for Erdogan, faced with a weakened economy, worsening relations with NATO ally the United States, and a loss for his party in the recent Istanbul local election to a more unified opposition.</p>.<p class="bodytext">After laying flowers at a monument for coup victims at his presidential palace complex in Ankara, Erdogan took part in a tense ceremony at parliament, which was bombed during the attempted putsch.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He was scheduled later to give a speech in Istanbul and inaugurate a museum dedicated to the failed coup of July 15, 2016.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said on Twitter that Turkey "sends a powerful message of unity and solidarity to the world: We will die but never let traitors and putschists destroy our country, our freedom and our dignity."</p>.<p class="bodytext">The day, known as "15 July" in Turkey, has become a national holiday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Relations with the West deteriorated after the coup bid, with Turkish officials accusing the West of not giving Ankara sufficient support.</p>.<p class="bodytext">At the same time, Erdogan has grown ever closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin, raising concerns in Europe and the United States.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Adding to the tension, Ankara has bought Russia's S-400 missile defence system and has drilled for gas and oil off Cyprus despite EU warnings.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ankara accuses former ally-turned-foe Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric exiled in the United States, of having ordered the attempted coup and lists his movement as a "terrorist" organisation.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Some 8,000 military personnel took part in the bid to overthrow Erdogan, backed by 35 fighter jets, three boats, 37 helicopters and 74 tanks, according to state news agency Anadolu.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since 2016, tens of thousands of people have been detained while 150,000 public sector employees have been suspended or sacked over alleged links to Gulen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Anadolu reported Sunday that 110 suspected Gulen movement members have been extradited to Turkey from more than 20 countries.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Hundreds of life sentences have been handed down against accused putschists.</p>.<p class="bodytext">There are still almost daily police raids to capture suspects accused of ties to Gulen.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Based in Pennsylvania, he strongly denies Ankara's claims. His movement rejects the "terrorist" tag, insisting it promotes education and moderate Islam.</p>