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[UPDATE] New gov’t decrees purge 367 more from state institutions, shutter another 2 TV channels

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A total of 367 people have been dismissed from state institutions while two other TV stations have been closed down under four new government decrees that went into effect on Monday.

The Turkish government issued four new decrees numbered  682, 683, 684 and 685 under the post-coup state of emergency, which were published in the Official Gazette on Monday.

While 367 were dismissed from jobs at various state institutions, the On4 TV and Kanal 12 channels were closed down and all their properties have been seized by the government with the new government decrees. Meanwhile 124 people who were previously dismissed from state jobs have been reinstated to their positions.

Under the government decree numbered 685, a commission named, “State of Emergency Actions Monitoring Commission,” has been established to examine applications from individuals who have been affected by state of emergency government decrees.

With the government decree numbered 684, the detention period which was increased to 30 days from four days at the beginning of the state of emergency, which was declared in the aftermath of a coup attempt on July 15, has been reduced to seven days. However, the maximum detention period for those who have been detained on terror charges will continue to be 30 days.

A state of emergency declared on July 20 in the wake of the coup attempt has made it possible for the government to press ahead with such controversial decrees, which are also known as KHKs, in a bid to punish coup supporters. These decrees are not required to be approved by Parliament to go into force.

Turkish authorities claim Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who lives in Pennsylvania and whose views inspired the Gülen movement, was the mastermind of the violent coup attempt that killed over 240 people and injured a thousand others on July 15, while Gülen strongly denies any involvement.

The Turkish government and President Erdoğan have designated the Gülen movement, operating charities, schools and businesses around the world, as a terrorist organization and have launched a widespread crackdown on suspected members since the failed coup.

With previous decrees, the government has closed down more than a thousand schools, foundations and other organizations that have alleged links to the Gülen movement.

Turkey’s unprecedented witch-hunt had resulted in the imprisonment of 41,752 people as of Dec. 30, according to the tally of turkeypurge.com while 135,356 people have been removed from public sector jobs since July 15.Critics argue that lists of Gülen sympathizers were drawn up prior to the coup attempt.

 

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