President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan did not rule out death penalty for the thousands of arrested in connection with the attempted coup in Turkey.

“There is a clear crime of treason and your request can never be rejected by our government,” President Erdogan said in an exclusive interview with CNN's Becky Anderson.

He said the parliament has to decide on restoring death penalty, and if it dies, he will approve it.

Commenting on people's calls for the death penalty for coup plotters, Erdogan said: “’Why should I keep them and feed them in prisons, for years to come?' -- that's what the people say.”