15,000 sacked from army over FETÖ links
ANKARA – Anadolu Agency
More than 15,000 people, including senior military officers, have been dismissed since July 2016 across Turkey as part of investigations into FETÖ, the group widely believed to have been behind a defeated coup attempt, Turkey’s Defense Minister Hulusi Akar has said.
“After the traitorous July 15 coup attempt, we’ve done work to clear out FETÖ members, using all opportunities,” Akar told state-run Anadolu Agency.
“As part of this, to date 15,153 people — 150 out of whom were generals and admirals — have been dismissed,” he said.
“We are determined and driven to go to wherever it extends in order to put an end to this. We are ready to do whatever is needed when new information and documents emerge,” he added.
FETÖ and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gülen are believed to have orchestrated the 2016 coup attempt, which left 251 people dead.
