After Coup Attempt, Turkish Government Cracks Down On Press

The total number of Turkish military personnel dismissed from their post topped 1684; the majority from the Turkish Army, including 87 generals, 726 officers and 256 sub-officers expelled from duty.

They included 45 newspapers, 16 television stations, 23 radio stations, three news agencies and 15 magazines.

More than 15,000 people, including around 10,000 soldiers, have so far been arrested during the crackdown that followed the coup attempt on 15 July as Mr Erdogan moved to “cleanse” the army and state institutions of “Gulenist” influences. “The grim details that we have documented are just a snapshot of the abuses that might be happening in places of detention”, said Amnesty International’s Europe director, John Dalhuisen.

The detention of journalists ordered on Wednesday involved columnists and other staff of the now defunct Zaman newspaper, a government official said.

Interior minister Ala told broadcaster A Haber that Turkey had arrested 8,113 people, out of 15,846 detained since July 15.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim is set to chair a top-level military meeting that is likely to lead to a major shake-up within the country’s armed forces following a failed coup by renegade military officers.

The military has insisted only a tiny proportion of the total armed forces – which number around three quarters of a million, the second-largest in North Atlantic Treaty Organisation after the United States – took part in the attempted coup.

More than 60,000 people have been suspended, detained or placed under investigation since the failed coup.

Erdogan, who narrowly escaped capture and possible death on the night of the coup, denies the crackdown has wider aims and says the Gulen movement threatened democracy by building a “parallel state”. They also had 74 tanks and three ships.

It appears the government isn’t done issuing arrest warrants in relation to the failed coup earlier this month.

Erdogan was quick to tighten his grip on the country in response. The list comprised many regional media outlets as well as several Gulen-linked media that had already been seized by the state. Washington has responded cautiously to the request to extradite Gulen, saying it must provide clear evidence of his involvement in the coup plot. Earlier on Wednesday, Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak said the US and European nations should have stronger backing for Ankara’s efforts to counter “antidemocratic” forces.

On Wednesday, State Department spokesman John Kirby said the USA sees “a troubling trend in Turkey where official bodies, law enforcement and judicial, are being used to discourage legitimate political discourse”, reports Reuters. Turkey has branded Gulen’s movement a terrorist organization and wants the cleric extradited.