Afghans Protest Turkish Coup Attempt

By Shadi Khan SaifKABUL, Afghanistan (AA) – Dozens of Afghans gathered in northern Afghanistan on Sunday to protest the failed Turkish coup. The participants carried Afghan and Turkish flags and pictures of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan through Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan's third largest city. They also denounced Fetullah Gulen, whose group the Turkish government has blamed for the coup attempt, which killed at least 246 people and injured more than 2,100 others. The rally was attended by Turkish Consul-General in Mazar-i-Sharif Mustafa Erdeviren and Zeki Bulduk, regional coordinator for the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). A similar protest in the capital Kabul last week was attended by large crowds of Afghan youth and Turkish citizens in Kabul. In response to the failed coup Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani condemned the attempt to overthrow Turkey's elected government, saying he hoped "the brotherly and friendly people of Turkey live in peace and prosperity." -