Turkey dismisses 1,400 troops in latest purge of military
Turkey dismisses 1,400 troops in latest purge of military
Hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen in the Turkish armed forces have been fired, as the government seeks to weed out suspects linked to July's attempted military coup.
2 min read
Erdogan has sacked over a thousand troops as the crackdown continues [Getty]
Nearly 1,400 military personnel - including a top aide to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - have been sacked from the Turkish army in the latest round of a sweeping purge following a failed coup.
The announcement in the official gazette came as Erdogan sought to tighten his grip over the country by bringing the armed forces and spy agency under his control.
It comes after rogue elements in the military unsuccessfully attempted to depose Erdogan, who has since launched a huge crackdown on those suspected of complicity.
Erdogan's aide-de-camp Ali Yazici - who was arrested five days after the 15 July putsch - was among the 1,389 dismissed by a new decree in the official gazette.
Chief-of-staff Hulusi Akar's aide-de-camp Levent Turkkan and Defence Minister Fikri Isik's executive assistant Tevfik Gok were also discharged.
State-run news agency Anadolu said the soldiers were dismissed because of alleged links to the movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding coup who strongly denies the charges.
The latest expulsions followed the dishonourable discharges of 149 admirals and generals - almost half the military's entire contingent - along with 1,099 officers and 436 junior officers.
Erdogan has pushed through constitutional changes to bring the Turkish spy agency and military chief of staff directly under his control, which would need parliamentary approval.
The new degree also confirmed his announcement that a new national military university would be established within the defence ministry, while military schools and academies would be closed down.
Military hospitals are to come under the control of the health ministry.
Anadolu said Turkey's deputy prime ministers and the ministers for justice, interior and foreign affairs have all become members of the Supreme Military Council, which determines the armed forces' agenda.
More than 50,000 people have lost their jobs nationwide and more than 18,000 have been detained since the coup, in which rebel soldiers came up against loyal supporters of the president.
In Germany, home to the biggest Turkish diaspora, tens of thousands of Erdogan's followers were due to rally later Sunday in the city of Cologne, where tensions over the coup have put authorities on edge.
The announcement in the official gazette came as Erdogan sought to tighten his grip over the country by bringing the armed forces and spy agency under his control.
It comes after rogue elements in the military unsuccessfully attempted to depose Erdogan, who has since launched a huge crackdown on those suspected of complicity.
Erdogan's aide-de-camp Ali Yazici - who was arrested five days after the 15 July putsch - was among the 1,389 dismissed by a new decree in the official gazette.
Chief-of-staff Hulusi Akar's aide-de-camp Levent Turkkan and Defence Minister Fikri Isik's executive assistant Tevfik Gok were also discharged.
State-run news agency Anadolu said the soldiers were dismissed because of alleged links to the movement led by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of masterminding coup who strongly denies the charges.
The latest expulsions followed the dishonourable discharges of 149 admirals and generals - almost half the military's entire contingent - along with 1,099 officers and 436 junior officers.
Erdogan has pushed through constitutional changes to bring the Turkish spy agency and military chief of staff directly under his control, which would need parliamentary approval.
The new degree also confirmed his announcement that a new national military university would be established within the defence ministry, while military schools and academies would be closed down.
Military hospitals are to come under the control of the health ministry.
Anadolu said Turkey's deputy prime ministers and the ministers for justice, interior and foreign affairs have all become members of the Supreme Military Council, which determines the armed forces' agenda.
More than 50,000 people have lost their jobs nationwide and more than 18,000 have been detained since the coup, in which rebel soldiers came up against loyal supporters of the president.
In Germany, home to the biggest Turkish diaspora, tens of thousands of Erdogan's followers were due to rally later Sunday in the city of Cologne, where tensions over the coup have put authorities on edge.
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