Turkey dismisses over 7,000 police, soldiers, ministry officials with new emergency decree

ISTANBUL

Police escort those detained over their suspected links to hte Gülenists in the southern province of Muğla - AA photo

More than 7,000 people were dismissed with a new state of emergency decree published in the Official Gazette on July 14.

A total of 7,395 dismissals were carried out and 312 public workers were reinstated to their posts with the decree.

Since the declaration of the state of emergency after the July 15, 2016, failed coup attempt, Turkey has been issuing emergency decrees that led to the dismissals or suspensions of thousands over their suspected links to the followers of the U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, widely believed to have been behind the thwarted coup. 

According to the latest decree, those dismissed were “linked to terror organisations or groups determined to have been acting against the state’s national security.”

The highest number of dismissals were carried out in police with some 2,303 people, in addition to 418 dismissals from Justice Ministry, 45 from Foreign Ministry, 102 from Education Ministry, 789 from Health Ministry, 551 from Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), 1,486 from Interior Ministry and 546 from Naval and Air Forces.

Former Istanbul Governor Hüseyin Avni Mutlu was among those dismissed with the decree.

Moreover, the decree also stripped 342 retired Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) personnel of their ranks and grades. 

A total of 356 Turkey’s Higher Education Board (YÖK) personnel were also dismissed from their posts.
The decree also stripped medals from former footballers Hakan Şükür and Arif Erdem. 

Şükür is currently being sought over his links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) and is believed to be in the United States.