Turkey’s Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) has suspended nine judges and prosecutors from their posts due to alleged links to the Gülen movement, which is accused by the Turkish government of masterminding a coup attempt in July 2016, Turkish media outlets reported on Friday.
The second chamber of the HSK, which convened on Friday, ruled for the suspension of nine judges and prosecutors out of 25 who are under investigation over their alleged links to the Gülen movement until the investigations into them are concluded. These judicial members could be fired if the investigations reveal concrete evidence proving their links to the movement.
The Turkish government accuses the Gülen movement of masterminding the failed coup on July 15, 2016 and labels it a “terrorist organization,” although the movement strongly denies involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Following the coup attempt, more than 150,000 people were removed from state jobs while in excess of 30,000 others were jailed and some 600,000 people have been investigated on allegations of terrorism due to alleged Gülen links.
Nearly 5,000 judges and prosecutors have been dismissed since the abortive putsch, and many are jailed over alleged links to the movement.