The Turkish government has so far dismissed a total of 5,676 security personnel, including high-ranking generals, and 16,409 military students since a coup attempt on July 15, Turkey’s Defense Minister Fikri Işık told the state-run Anadolu news agency on Saturday.
“When looking at the overall number, a total of 22,085 people have been permanently dismissed from the Turkish Armed Forces,” Işık said.
The dismissed members are accused of having alleged links to the Gulen movement, a civil society organization accused by the Turkish government of orchestrating the July 15 coup attempt. (Turkey Purge)