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Turkey decisively fights against coup organizers

20 July 2016 [13:03] - TODAY.AZ

/By Azernews/

By Gunay Camal

Turkey is tuned to root out allies of eloped cleric Fetullah Gulen, accused of masterminding the July 15 coup attempt, widening a purge of the army, police and judiciary to universities, ministries, the intelligence agency and religious authorities.

Thousands of public employees have been suspended from their duties amid a nationwide move against those suspected of having links to the failed coup attempt.

A total of 15,200 Education Ministry personnel were suspended due to their alleged links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization, which the government blames for the attempted coup. The licenses of 21,000 teachers working in private institutions were also canceled, Hurriyet reported. 

Some 100 people from the National Intelligence Organization (M?T) were also suspended. The suspended personnel were on passive duty due to a supervision decision against them and didn’t have access to intelligence, Anadolu Agency reported. 

Turkey’s Prime Ministry suspended a total of 257 personnel, including 230 judicial clerks, 19 specialists, six advisers and two legal advisers. The IDs of the suspended personnel were also seized. 

Meanwhile, Turkey’s Higher Education Board has demanded the resignation of all deans on duty at all private and state universities throughout the country. The resignation of 1,557 deans was demanded by the Board. 

In addition, a total of 492 people were suspended from Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) on July 18.  A total of 393 personnel were also suspended from the Family and Social Policies Ministry and 16 were suspended from the Development Ministry.

Over 8,000 people have been arrested in Turkey in relation to a failed coup, with more detentions expected.

News of the arrests came after the Turkish authorities accused Gulen of orchestrating the violence and demanded the U.S. extradite him.

Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m said on July 19 that his government had sent four files to the United States.

“We have sent four dossiers to the United States for the extradition of the terrorist chief. We will present them with even more evidence than they want,” Y?ld?r?m said, further calling on Washington to “stop protecting that traitor.”

Ankara has also applied to the U.S. Justice Ministry for the arrest of Gülen before his extradition, private broadcaster CNNTürk reported.

U.S. President Barack Obama discussed the status of Gulen in a telephone call with Erdogan on July 19, the White House said, urging Ankara to show restraint as it pursues those responsible for the coup attempt.

Also, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and his Turkish counterpart discussed the importance of Turkey's Incirlik Air Base in the campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, the Pentagon said.

The base, which is used by Turkish and U.S. forces in the air campaign against Islamic State, has been without power in the days since the failed coup.

All military equipment, including aircrafts, ships and helicopters, are under the control of the Turkish Armed Forces, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmush said in an interview with local TV channel on July 19.

The information that the Turkish Armed Forces' equipment remained under the control of the putsches is misinformation, he said.

Furthermore, the Turkish parliament will launch a comprehensive probe over the failed coup attempt next week. 

A total of 240 people, of whom 62 were police officers, 173 were civilians and five were soldiers, were killed during the failed coup attempt and 1,535 people were wounded, Anadolu Agency reported. A total of 24 coup plotters were also killed and 50 coup plotters were wounded.

URL: http://www.today.az/news/regions/152731.html

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