Turkey fires over 1,000 soldiers, detains university staff

Published November 03, 2016

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses Turkey-Africa Business Forum in Istanbul, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016. (Kayhan Ozer, Presidential Press Service, Pool photo via AP) (The Associated Press)

Turkey's Interior Ministry has dismissed 1,218 military personnel from the gendarmerie as part of the investigation into the movement allegedly behind the failed coup in July.

In a statement released Thursday, the ministry says 419 officers, 604 non-commissioned officers and 195 other personnel were dismissed Thursday.

The government says the movement of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen was responsible for the coup, which killed over 270 people. The cleric denies any involvement.

Authorities have arrested close to 37,000 people and dismissed or suspended more than 100,000 personnel from government jobs in a purge to eradicate the network.

Meanwhile, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported that an unspecified number of Marmara University personnel were detained by police Thursday for using an encryption app allegedly favored by the Gulen movement.

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