Turkey dismisses more than 2,000 police officers in aftermath of coup bidAugust 17, 2016 - 10:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey issued two decrees under emergency rule on Wednesday, August 17 in which it dismissed more than 2,000 police officers and hundreds of members of the military and the BTK communication technology authority over last month's attempted military coup, Reuters reports. Those dismissed were described as having links to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of orchestrating the failed putsch on July 15. Gulen denies involvement in the coup. The decrees, published in the country's Official Gazette, also included a decision to close the TIB telecoms authority and another decision under which the president will appoint the head of the armed forces. Under previous emergency rule decrees, Turkey had already dismissed thousands of security force members as well as ordering the closure of thousands of private schools, charities and other institutions suspected of links to Gulen. The latest dismissals included 2,360 police officers, more than 100 military personnel and 196 staff in the BTK technology authority, according to the decrees, issued under a three-month state of emergency which came into force on July 21. Alongside tens of thousands of civil servants suspended or dismissed, more than 35,000 people have been detained in a massive purge since the failed coup, when a group of rogue soldiers commandeered tanks, warplanes and helicopters in an attempt to overthrow the government. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Concept to complete Yerevan Cascade discussed at city hall A conceptual proposal to complete the Cascade complex in downtown Yerevan has been presented by Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Pashinyan visits flood-hit region Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Saturday, June 8 visited the disaster area in the Lori province. €3.5 mln EU grant to support justice reforms in Armenia The European Union has paid €3.5 mln grant to Armenia within a €11mln program on Support to Justice Reforms. Yerevan reacts to Baku’s proposal to see Minsk Group abolition Alen Simonyan has declared that Armenia is taking steps aimed at concluding a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. |