More than 7.000 policemen, soldiers and ministry workers have been dismissed in Turkey under a new decree passed today as part of the state of emergency imposed after a failed military coup a year ago.
A total of 7.348 people, including 2.303 police officers, were fired in "new purges," the Hurriyet newspaper reported.
The decree was passed the day before the first anniversary of the failed coup on July 15, 2016.
Turkish authorities accuse former imam Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the US and denies any involvement, for the coup.
Gulen today condemned the failed coup and the "witch hunt" carried out by the Turkish authorities.
The former imam also condemned the "unprecedented persecution" against his Hizmet movement.
Before the failed coup, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Gulen, once his close associate, of building a "parallel state" to oust him from power.
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