540 soldiers from Turkish naval, air forces dismissed over alleged Gülen links

ANKARA

Some 540 soldiers from the naval and air forces command have been temporarily dismissed over their suspected links to U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gülen and his network, who is accused of orchestrating a failed coup in July, the Defense Ministry said. 

Some 427 of the soldiers were from the air forces while the other 113 were from the naval forces.

Some 368 of those temporarily dismissed were officers.

A total of 3,699 military personnel have been dismissed from the army, according to the ministry.

In the latest of a stream of removals targeting those suspected of ties to the coup attempt, the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) removed 66 judges and prosecutors from duty. 

On July 15, a rogue faction within the military staged an attempted coup in which more than 240 people were killed. 

The Turkish authorities demand the extradition of Gülen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, U.S., since 1999.