Turkey Expels Thousands of Policemen for Alleged Links With Coup

The Turkish authorities have expelled more than two thousand policemen for alleged links to the failed military coup of July 15th, according to a decree published on Wednesday in the official Turkish Gazette.

The government took the action in the field of state of emergency declared in the country after the coup.

In total, 2692 people lost their official status: 2360 police officers, 196 employees of the Telecommunications Authority and 136 Army officers, from sergeants to generals.

There are also 4897 officials expelled so far, including more than 3,000 military, as the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, said on Saturday.

Yildirim also said that a total of 75,000 officials or employees of public sector were suspended, awaiting a review of their case.

All of them are suspected of having links with the organization of the Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, exiled in the United States since 1999, and accused by Ankara of instigating the coup.

Turkey requested the extradition of Gulen, who denies being involved in the military uprising and condemned the attempted coup.