Foreign minister Bert Koenders has warned Turkey’s government not to damage democracy as it responds to last week’s failed coup.

Koenders interrupted an official tour of South America to fly to Brussels for talks with his American counterpart John Kerry on the Turkish situation. European ministers are concerned that president Recep Tayyip Erdogan will exploit the tension to erode democracy through authoritarian measures.

Since last Saturday’s attempted takeover by a section of the military more than 6,000 people have been arrested, including more than 2,700 judges and prosecutors. Erdogan has called on the US to extradite his long-term rival, Muslim cleric Fetullah Gulen, who has denied any involvement in the coup.

‘Everyone is relieved that the coup has been defeated, or at least is finished,’ Koenders was reported saying on Monday. ‘Now we need to see unity restored in the country.

‘Stability and the rule of law are extremely important in Turkey, both for the Turks and for Europe. It is also very important that this does not lead to a day of reckoning in Turkey.’

Death penalty

The EU is particularly concerned about reports that Erdogan wants to restore the death penalty for the coup plotters. The sanction has not been applied since 1984 and was abolished in 2004 as a conditions of Turkey’s application to join the European Union.

‘Democratic institutions needed to be protected in that dark night,’ said Europe’s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini. ‘But that doesn’t mean the rule of law no longer applies. On the contrary, there needs to be an institutional balance.’