Turkey: 1400 troops out post-July 2018 under FETO probe

ANKARA , 14 Apr 2019 [Fik/News Sources]: Since last summer, the Turkish Armed Forces have dismissed over 1,400 personnel amid efforts to root out terrorist FETO infiltration, according to a data analysis by Anadolu Agency.

Since the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey, Turkish institutions including the military have been working to find and expel elements of the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the coup.

A two-year state of emergency following the coup was lifted on July 20, 2018, and since then the Turkish Armed Forces have dismissed 1,412 personnel, the analysis found.

Under National Defense Ministry direction, 795 personnel from the Turkish Land Forces have been dismissed, along with 242 personnel from the Turkish Naval Forces and 375 from the Turkish Air Forces.

In addition, 106 soldiers were reduced in rank.

The government declared the state of emergency following the July 15, 2016 defeated coup orchestrated by FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.