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Turkey sacks 107 judges, prosecutors over links to failed coup

Reuters
Ankara, TurkeyUpdated: May 05, 2017, 04:14 PM IST
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A damaged vehicle is seen in front of a military vehicle during an attempted coup in Ankara, Turkey on July 16, 2016. Photograph:(Reuters)

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The latest crackdown comes nearly ten months after the aborted coup with several more sacking and detention still in the offing. ||President Erdogan's government had earlier dismissed around 145,000 civil servants, security personnel and academics.

Turkey today dismissed 107 judges and prosecutors over alleged links to a failed coup in July last year, Turkish televisions reported on Friday, further widening a purge during which it dismissed around 145,000 civil servants, security personnel and academics.

Turkey's military was involved in a coup on July 15-16 last year to overthrow President Erdogan, however, it failed to materialise leading to large-scale arrests and detention of army personnel which later led to a wider crackdown on academics and journalists. In addition, the government said in its official gazette that three news agencies, 16 television channels, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers were ordered to shut down. 

The government believed people from across society were involved in a coup, The Turkish General Staff had said 35 planes, including 24 fighter jets, 37 helicopters, 74 tanks and three ships had been used by the coup plotters. The government believed soldiers from the Gulenist network were involved in the attempted putsch in which 8,651 military officers were involved or about 1.5 per cent of the armed forces.

The wide-ranging crackdown has led to discontent in Turkish society with several human rights organisations accusing the government of illegal detention and forced arrests.

The latest crackdown comes nearly ten months after the aborted coup with several more sacking and detention still in the offing.

(WION with Reuters input)