Tens of thousands of supporters of Turkey's ruling and main opposition parties, usually bitter foes, have rallied together in support of democracy following a failed military coup as President Tayyip Erdogan tightens his grip on the country.
Demonstrators held a cross-party "Republic and Democracy" rally in Istanbul's central Taksim Square on Sunday in a spirit of unity following the failed coup, in which at least 246 people were killed and more than 2000 injured.
In a rare move, pro-government channels broadcast a live speech from the podium by main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu.
"This is a day to unite, a day to stand up against coups and dictatorial regimes, a day to let the voice of the people be heard," he said at the rally, organised by his secularist opposition CHP but also backed by the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party and by other opposition groups.
Erdogan will likely try to capitalise on the large size of the crowd of all political persuasions to reassert full control over the country, a NATO ally and an important partner in the US-led fight against Islamic State.
In another demonstration of unity after the coup, which was staged by a faction within the armed forces, the head of Turkey's air force issued a rare statement stressing "absolute obedience" to the chief of the military General Staff.
The chief of the military General Staff, Hulusi Akar, who was held hostage by the plotters on the night of July 15, condemned the plotters as "cowards in uniform" who had greatly harmed the nation and the army.
Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death during the attempted coup, has declared a state of emergency, allowing him to sign laws without prior parliamentary approval in a drive to root out supporters of the coup.
His critics fear he is using the abortive coup to wage an indiscriminate crackdown on dissent.
Turkish authorities have suspended, detained or placed under investigation more than 60,000 soldiers, police, judges, teachers, civil servants and others in the past week.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said authorities had taken around 13,000 people into custody over the coup attempt, including 8831 soldiers.
He pledged they would have a fair trial.
Rights group Amnesty International said it had received credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since the coup attempt.
Erdogan has extended the maximum period of detention for suspects from four days to 30, a move Amnesty said increased the risk of torture or other maltreatment of detainees.
Erdogan has accused US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has many followers in Turkey, of masterminding the abortive coup.
In his first decree Erdogan ordered the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and foundations with suspected links to Gulen, who denies involvement in the coup.
The CHP and other political parties swiftly joined the ruling Islamist-rooted AKP in condemning the coup attempt, mindful of four other military interventions in Turkey in the past 60 years.
The last full-scale coup in 1980 led to mass arrests of politicians and others, torture and executions.
Reuters