 has dismissed a total of 20,571 members from the service for alleged ties to the Gülen movement since a failed coup attempt in July 2016, according to a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry.){kind=link}
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has dismissed a total of 20,571 members from service for alleged ties to the Gülen movement since a failed coup in July 2016, according to a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry.
The ministry said 239 of the military members were removed from their posts in October while investigations are under way into 3,551 others.
Since the beginning of 2020, the TSK has dismissed 1,895 members from service.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of orchestrating the abortive putsch, although the movement strongly denies any involvement.
Following the coup attempt, the Turkish government launched a massive crackdown on non-loyalist citizens under the pretext of an anti-coup fight as a result of which more than 130,000 people were removed from state jobs while in excess of 30,000 others are still in jail and some 600,000 people have been investigated on allegations of terrorism.