World

Turkey coup attempt: Charges laid against 99 generals and admirals

July 20, 2016 5:23 pm

Turkey has formally charged 99 generals and admirals in connection with the weekend’s thwarted coup attempt, just under a third of the country’s 356 top military officers.

Authorities have banned all academics from travelling abroad, as the purge of state employees suspected of being connected to the failed coup continues.

More than 50,000 people have been rounded up, sacked or suspended.

Article continues after advertisement

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to announce further measures.

He chaired a five-hour emergency meeting of the National Security Council and was expected to lay out a series of emergency measures later on Wednesday, sources told the Reuters news agency.

So far about 1,577 university deans (faculty heads) have been asked to resign in addition to 21,000 teachers and 15,000 education ministry officials.

They are suspected of having links to the alleged mastermind of the coup, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen – who denies any involvement.

Some 626 institutions have also been shut down, most of them private educational establishments, officials say.

Meanwhile, Turkish F-16 fighter jets launched an operation to check reports that two missing coastguard vessels were trying to reach Greek waters, but details were few.