Turkey dismisses 6,000 more workers in post-coup crackdown

Turkey dismissed more than 6,000 more police, civil servants and academics under emergency rule, continuing a purge in the wake of a failed coup last July, Voice of America reported.

A decree issued in the Official Gazette ordered the dismissal of 2,687 police officers, 1,699 officials from the justice ministry, 838 from the health ministry, 649 academics and 135 officials from the religious affairs directorate.

They also stated that individuals overseas who are being sought by the Turkish authorities might have their citizenship removed if they fail to return within three months.

Some 120,000 people have been suspended or dismissed since the coup, although thousands of them have since been restored to their posts. More than 41,000 have been jailed pending trial out of 100,000 who have faced investigation.

Parliament, dominated by the ruling AK Party, voted this week to extend emergency rule by another three months in a move the government said was needed to sustain a purge of supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen.

Source: MENA