Turkey discharges 820 military more military personnel
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a gathering of judges and lawyers at his palace in Ankara, Turkey, Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016. (Yasin Bulbul, Presidential Press Service, Pool via AP) (The Associated Press)
Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency says more than 800 further personnel have been discharged from the military in the latest crackdown following July's abortive coup.
It reported Thursday that the Ministry of National Defense has dishonorably discharged 820 personnel from the Army and Navy. Of those, 648 were already under arrest.
The government has launched a massive crackdown against the movement led by U.S.-based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. Ankara alleges Gulen and his followers were responsible for the violent coup attempt that left more than 270 people dead. Gulen denies any involvement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Some 35,000 people have been detained for questioning, with more than 17,000 of them being formally arrested to face trial. Tens of thousands more people have been suspended or dismissed from their jobs, including thousands from the military.