Over 300 Turkish navy personnel suspended, dismissed

The Turkish Defense Ministry has suspended or dismissed scores of naval officers as part of the government’s crackdown on people suspected of affiliation to the movement of US-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen, whom Ankara accuses of having masterminded the failed coup of July 15.

The ministry announced on its official Twitter account on Sunday that 168 commissioned and 123 non-commissioned officers had been suspended from duty.

It added that fifteen commissioned and four non-commissioned officers were also dismissed.

The development came only three days after 35 pilots were arrested over links to the Gulen movement.

Chief Public Prosecutor of Konya Province Bestami Tezcan had issued warrants for the arrest of 55 pilots, 54 serving and retired lieutenants in addition to a colonel, earlier in the day.

The Turkish Defense Ministry has dismissed over 4,200 military personnel since the coup attempt.

Renegade Turkish military personnel declared themselves in charge of state matters on the night of July 15. The defectors rolled battle tanks down the streets and flew helicopters to fight proponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party in the capital Ankara and Istanbul.

The putsch was later extinguished as tens of thousands of people flooded the streets across Turkey in a strong show of support for Erdogan.

Over 240 people were killed and more than 2,100 others injured in the violence, which Gulen has strongly condemned, while denying any involvement in it.

Turkish nationwide television news channel NTV, citing Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, reported on October 23 that security forces had arrested more than 35,000 people as part of the post-coup crackdown.

International rights groups argue that Ankara's crackdown has gone far beyond the so-called Gulenists and targeted Kurds as well as government critics.

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