Turkey Removes 8,000 Police over Possible Involvement in Coup Attempt

EghtesadOnline: Turkish government discharged 8,000 police members due to alleged links with Friday's abortive coup in the country, a security source said on Monday.

News ID: ۷۶۸۲۷۰

18 July 2016

“The removals were carried out across the country, however a majority of soldiers discharged  were serving in major cities including Istanbul and the capital city of Ankara,” the source said reporters.

According to FNA, the move comes after the Erdogan government accused US-based opposition figures of involvement in the failed coup attempt and there are concerns over a possible imminent re-coup in Turkey, as the security situation is still tense.

An attempted Turkish military coup crumbled on Saturday after crowds answered President Tayyip Erdogan's call to take to the streets to support him and dozens of rebel soldiers abandoned their tanks in the main city of Istanbul.

There are reports of sporadic clashes between government troops and suspected coup participants in several points across the country in the wake of the coup attempt that left at least 290 dead and over 2000 people wounded, most of whom were civilians.

The situation in Turkey remains unstable as authorities indicated more heavy-handed measures against coup plotters and opposition figures in military and administrative posts.