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ISTANBUL, TURKEY - JULY 15: Turkish soldiers block Istanbul's Bosphorus Brigde on July 15, 2016 in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul's bridges across the Bosphorus, the strait separating the European and Asian sides of the city, have been closed to traffic. Reports have suggested that a group within Turkey's military have attempted to overthrow the government. Security forces have been called in as Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim denounced an "illegal action" by a military "group", with bridges closed in Istanbul and aircraft flying low over the capital of Ankara. (Photo by Gokhan Tan/Getty Images)

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Story highlights

NEW: Erdogan touts return of death penalty

Officials say coup plotters must be punished

(CNN) —

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told CNN he would approve reinstating the death penalty if lawmakers backed the measure in Parliament. He called the attempted coup on Friday a “clear crime of treason.”

In his first one-on-one interview since the attempted coup by a faction of the military, Erdogan on Monday said citizens are demanding the death penalty for coup plotters.

“The people now have the idea, after so many terrorist incidents, that these terrorists should be killed,” Erdogan told CNN’s Becky Anderson through his translator. “Why should I keep them and feed them in prisons for years to come?”

The President didn’t specify whether he’d seek the death penalty for Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who the president says was behind the attempt to overthrow him. He said he’ll submit a formal request to the United States within days for Gulen’s extradition.