EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini thinks Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may still be manipulated by ethereal promises of European Union ascension, threatening on Monday that Turkey will not be admitted to the bloc if it chooses to reinstate the death penalty to purge the country of Erdogan’s rivals, CNN reported on Monday. Turkey submitted its application for membership into the European Economic Community nearly 30 years ago, in 1987. In his first interview with a media outlet since the coup attempt, Erdogan told CNN, with regard to those arrested and charged with treason: “Why should I keep them and feed them in prisons, for years to come? That’s what the people say.” Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004 in a bid to win membership in the EU.

Meanwhile, Erdogan is busy with slightly more pressing concerns like regime survival and preventing another coup, taking the failed attempt launched against him on Friday as an opportunity to clean house. Over 103 generals and admirals have been arrested, representing one-third of the general officer corps of the Turkish military, and the crackdown has expanded to the interior ministry, with the arrest of 8,777 officers. With regard to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, Erdogan reiterated his demand that the United States hand him over, saying he would make a formal request soon.