(VOVworld) - Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency on Wednesday following a failed coup. 

Soldiers searched Wednesday in Marmaris, Turkey, for missing military members suspected of being involved in a failed coup. (Photo: Reuters)

He said this time is needed to eliminate any terrorist threat related to the coup plot. Turkey accused the supporters of Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in exile in the US, of being behind the coup attempt. President Erdogan earlier warned the US would be making a big mistake if it did not hand over Gulen.

He said the democracy of Turkey, a candidate seeking to join the EU, will not be affected by the state of emergency. He said the state of emergency will allow the president and cabinet to bypass parliament in passing new laws and to limit or suspend rights and freedoms as they deem necessary.