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Turkey Fires Nearly 4,000 from Civil Service, Military, Gendarmerie


FILE - Anti-government demonstrators march during a protest in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul, Turkey, April 18, 2017.
FILE - Anti-government demonstrators march during a protest in the Kadikoy district of Istanbul, Turkey, April 18, 2017.

Turkey has dismissed nearly 4,000 people from its civil service, military, and gendarmerie, in what appears to be a purge related to last year's attempted coup.

Turkey announced the move on Saturday, saying in the government's Official Gazette that those let go include 1,127 employees of the justice ministry, made up of prison guards, academics and religious affairs ministry employees.

It appears to be one of the largest such purges since the coup attempt last July.

Since that time some 120,000 people have been suspended from their jobs in civil service and the private sector, and more than 40,000 people were arrested.

Also Saturday, Turkey announced it has banned television dating programs, and access to the Wikipedia online research tool. Ankara says Wikipedia has suggested Turkey is cooperating with terror groups.

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