Turkey’s top military commanders met Thursday to replace nearly half of their generals in a radical shake-up after the failed coup, as authorities shut down dozens of media outlets in a widening crackdown.
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Currently, the detainees’ apartments are being searched, the message said.
Yildirim, accompanied by the top brass, visited the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, modern Turkey’s founder, before the council meeting, and vowed to overcome all terror threats.
Two four-star generals from the land forces also resigned, CNN Turk reported, without giving a reason.
Separately, a total of 131 newspapers, TV channels and other media outlets were being shut down under the 3-month state of emergency declared in the wake of the coup.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel became the latest Western leader on Thursday to urge restraint, while underlining Turkey’s need to take action against the rebels.
Turkey has suspended or removed at least 60,000 people from jobs in the security services, judiciary, Finance Ministry and schools in a widespread crackdown on alleged followers of Gulen, who denies involvement in the takeover attempt.
Three news agencies, 16 television stations, 23 radio stations, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers are among those that have been shut down.
And authorities issued warrants for the detention of 89 journalists.
Foreign Minister Cavusoglu told broadcaster CNN Turk that some prosecutors with links to Gulen had fled to Germany and he urged Berlin to extradite them.
“In a constitutional state – and this is what worries me and what I am following closely – the principle of proportionality must be ensured by all”, she told a news conference in Berlin.
Cavusoglu warned allies that relations would sour if they refuse to cooperate with Turkey’s extradition requests. Turkey has branded Gulen’s movement a terrorist organization and wants the cleric extradited.
Last week, Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion said Canada had rebuffed the Turkish government’s requests for information on the Gulen movement in Canada.
Turkey’s post-coup purge has raised concerns throughout Europe.
The military Council meeting was originally scheduled for the first week of August but was brought forward following the coup attempt. His comments suggested that elements of the military launched the coup attempt because they knew they were about to be purged. Its location was moved from the military headquarters to the prime minister’s office in a sign that the government aims to place the military under stronger civilian control.
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Late Wednesday, the government issued a decree that transferred control of the paramilitary police force and the coast guard from the military to the government’s Interior Ministry.
