Turkish authorities ordered the closure of more than 130 media outlets on Wednesday in a crackdown following July’s failed coup, Reuters reports, citing CNN Turk.
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Their relatives have since denied the youths were willing participants in the coup attempt, saying they were summoned to school from vacation by commanders who duped them into taking part in the rebellion and deployed them onto Istanbul’s streets. Of those discharged, 149 were either generals or admirals.
In addition, three news agencies, 16 television channels and 45 daily newspapers, among others, have been ordered to be shut down, it said.
With 143 generals and more than 3,000 soldiers arrested on suspicion of coup links, there are gaping holes in the command structure which will have to be filled.
At least 178 generals have been detained – with 151 of them already remanded in custody – around one half of the 358 generals serving in Turkey.
Separately, Turkey’s capital markets board said it had revoked the license of the head of research at brokerage AK Investment and called for him to face charges over a report he wrote to investors analyzing the coup.
Ankara shakes up military, closes media outlets in bid to purge Fethullah Gulen’s influence. A state of emergency enacted after the coup attempt allows Turkey’s executive to issue decrees, which are then sent to parliament for approval.
President Erdogan has vowed to purge state bodies of the “virus” he says caused the revolt. Earlier this week, the government issued an additional 42 arrest warrants for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Mr. Gulen, a moderate religious leader who counts millions of supporters in Turkey and overseas, has denied any role in the military uprising and says he is opposed to violence.
Military officials also revealed that the plotters had 35 planes, 37 helicopters, 74 tanks and three ships.
According to the administration, the coup attempt shows that Turkey was facing the threat of a terrorist attack.
He warned that a lack of support for Turkey could harm ties with allies.
The government insists the moves are proportionate after a putsch attempt they allege was backed by thousands of Mr. Gulen’s sympathizers across the bureaucracy, the financial sector and the media.
Gulen lives in a secluded compound in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, but Erdogan has reason to worry about the reclusive cleric’s reach inside Turkey.
“The investigation is continuing, there are people who are being searched for”.
Turkey has insisted all suspects will be given a fair hearing and an official said yesterday nearly 3,000 suspects have been released after being detained.
Before news of the shutdown broke Wednesday, the International Press Institute noted that Turkey may beat its own record for imprisoned journalists (set in 2012).
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But Yildirim said Turkey was “determined” to secure his removal.
