Turkey has dismissed over 900 public sector officials in the latest wave of the purge that has followed last year’s failed coup, according to an emergency decree published in the official gazette on Friday.
Over 1,40,000 people have been sacked or suspended from their jobs since July 2016 over alleged links to US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused of ordering the attempted coup. Gulen denies the charges.
More than 50,000 people including journalists have been arrested under the state of emergency imposed last year in a crackdown that has caused international concern. A total of 928 people were sacked in the latest decree, including civil servants working in the defence, foreign and interior ministries as well as military personnel. Turkish authorities also stripped 10 retired brigadier generals of their rank. But the decree said 57 civil servants and military personnel returned to their jobs including 28 officials from the justice ministry and related institutions.