AP, Istanbul :
A new presidential decree has introduced sweeping reforms to Turkey’s military in the wake of the failed coup in the country.
Sunday’s decree gives the president and prime minister the authority to issue direct orders to the commanders of the army, air force and navy. It also shuts down military schools, establishes a new national defense university, puts the force commanders directly under the defense ministry and announces the discharge of 1,389 military personnel.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched a sweeping crackdown on those he accuses of being involved in the July 15 attempted coup.
In an interview with private A Haber television Saturday, Erdogan said he also wants to put the country’s intelligence agency and the chief of general staff’s headquarters under the presidency.
BBC adds: Turkey’s president has said he wants to close the nation’s military academies and put the spy agency and the military chief of staff under his own control. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the proposals would be brought before parliament. The measures are the latest in a large-scale crackdown launched after the failed coup on 15 July.
The authorities say Fetullah Gulen was behind the army-led coup in which at least 246 people died. The US-based cleric denies the allegation.”We are going to introduce a small constitutional package which, if approved, will bring the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and chief of staff under the control of the presidency,” President Erdogan told Turkey’s A Haber television on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Turkey today released more than 750 soldiers who had been detained after an abortive coup, state media reported, while President Tayyip Erdogan said he would drop lawsuits against those who had insulted him, in a one-time gesture of “unity”.
More than 60,000 people have been detained, removed or suspended over suspected links with the coup attempt, when a faction of the military commandeered tanks, helicopters and fighter jets and attempted to topple the government. Turkey’s Western allies have condemned the coup, in which Erdogan has said 237 people were killed and more than 2,100 were wounded, but have been rattled by the scale of the crackdown since.
The purges have targeted supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of masterminding the July 15-16 failed coup. The cleric denies the charges and Erdogan’s critics say the president is using the purges to clamp down on dissent.
A new presidential decree has introduced sweeping reforms to Turkey’s military in the wake of the failed coup in the country.
Sunday’s decree gives the president and prime minister the authority to issue direct orders to the commanders of the army, air force and navy. It also shuts down military schools, establishes a new national defense university, puts the force commanders directly under the defense ministry and announces the discharge of 1,389 military personnel.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has launched a sweeping crackdown on those he accuses of being involved in the July 15 attempted coup.
In an interview with private A Haber television Saturday, Erdogan said he also wants to put the country’s intelligence agency and the chief of general staff’s headquarters under the presidency.
BBC adds: Turkey’s president has said he wants to close the nation’s military academies and put the spy agency and the military chief of staff under his own control. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the proposals would be brought before parliament. The measures are the latest in a large-scale crackdown launched after the failed coup on 15 July.
The authorities say Fetullah Gulen was behind the army-led coup in which at least 246 people died. The US-based cleric denies the allegation.”We are going to introduce a small constitutional package which, if approved, will bring the National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and chief of staff under the control of the presidency,” President Erdogan told Turkey’s A Haber television on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Turkey today released more than 750 soldiers who had been detained after an abortive coup, state media reported, while President Tayyip Erdogan said he would drop lawsuits against those who had insulted him, in a one-time gesture of “unity”.
More than 60,000 people have been detained, removed or suspended over suspected links with the coup attempt, when a faction of the military commandeered tanks, helicopters and fighter jets and attempted to topple the government. Turkey’s Western allies have condemned the coup, in which Erdogan has said 237 people were killed and more than 2,100 were wounded, but have been rattled by the scale of the crackdown since.
The purges have targeted supporters of US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of masterminding the July 15-16 failed coup. The cleric denies the charges and Erdogan’s critics say the president is using the purges to clamp down on dissent.
