Turkey suspends 12,801 police officers over 'ties with Gulen'

Of the 12,801 suspended from duty as part of the investigation into the coup attempt, 2,523 were police chiefs, the police authorities said in a statement. In total, Turkey has around 270,000 police officers.

They were suspended over suspected links to the Gulen movement, which Turkey blames for the attempted putsch that tried to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan from power.

Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in the United States since 1999, strongly denies Ankara's accusations.

Tens of thousands of people in the judiciary, civil service, military and education sector have been suspended while 32,000 suspects have been placed under arrest on charges of links to the movement.

The government's crackdown has alarmed Turkey's Western allies who have warned Ankara that it must act within the rule of law.

Turkey on Monday extended the state of emergency introduced after the failed putsch for another 90 days starting on October 19.

"The state of emergency will be extended for another 90 days starting October 19 from 1 am," Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus told a news conference after the cabinet meeting.

The government says basic freedoms will not be undermined.

"The extension means we are still taking certain steps to address vital challenges to our democracy," a senior Turkish official said on condition of anonymity.

But there are growing fears the emergency is being used by the government as a pretext to silence critics and continue in the hunt down for suspects in the failed putsch.

Agencies contributed to this report