Turkey Detains 283 Presidential Guards Over Failed Coup
MEP: Turkey has arrested 283 Presidential Guards after a failed coup attempt.
Turkish authorities have announced a shake-up of the security forces when a unit of the army attempted to overthrow the government in a failed coup last week.
Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspects were part of the special forces regiment stationed at the presidential palace in capital, Ankara.
Meanwhile, over 10,000 passports have been reportedly cancelled “due to flight risk.”
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim vowed on Friday to adopt more measures against potential “threats” in the face of the July 15 botched putsch.
Yildirim said the danger from the attempted coup remains, but the government is trying to keep it at bay. He also assured Turkish citizens that security and safety have been ensured across the country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused exiled Turkish businessman and cleric Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the violence and is demanding that the US extradite him.
Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania, denied any involvement and condemned the coup attempt.
Latest figures reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency Friday show that more than 44,000 employees of state institutions have also been suspended amid a nationwide probe over coup.
The Education Ministry announced the suspension of 21,738 civil servants, 21,029 of them teachers.
