The Turkish government fired more than 10,000 civil servants and closed 15 media outlets that have pro-Kurdish leanings, Reuters reported on Monday. The dismissals are part of a massive crackdown in the aftermath of the attempted coup in July. The official decrees, issued on October 29, also include changes in university administration. According to Turkish Journalists’ Association data, the latest clamping down of media outlets brings the number of closures to 170.
At the country's Republic Day event on October 29, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hinted at bringing back the death penalty. He said, "I believe this issue will come to the parliament," Al Jazeera reported. Ankara's Opposition and human rights activists have alleged that the government is using its emergency powers to muzzle all dissenting voices.
A Turkish court arrested the co-mayors of Kurdish dominated city Diyarbakir, Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli, over alleged "terror links", officials told Al Jazeera on Sunday. The local prosecutor said Kisanak and Anli had made speeches urging for increased political autonomy for the Kurdish population in the country. They have also been accused of inciting violent protests in 2014.
On July 20, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan had declared a state of emergency five days after a section of the Turkish military attempted a coup in Istanbul and Ankara, the capital. The coup left 161 people dead and 1,440 wounded. The crackdown is targeting a network linked to United States-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, which the Turkish government accused of planning the attempted coup. Gulen has denied the accusations.
After the emergency was declared, the government has arrested scores of people including doctors, teachers, journalists and military commanders. In August, the government was set to release around 38,000 prisoners to make jail space for the thousands arrested in connection with the coup attempt. Over 1,00,000 people were dismissed or suspended before the latest round of arrests, Al Jazeera reported.
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