Alwaght- The Turkish highest judiciary council has removed 2,745 judges and prosecutors from duty following coup attempt in which over 265 people were killed and 1440 more injured.
The draconian decision came after an emergency meeting of Turkey’s Judges and Prosecutors High Council which was called to discuss members’ links to Fethullah Gulen, whom turkey's ruling party accuses of plotting the failed military action.
The meeting saw the dismissal of 2,745 judges along with several members of the council itself, which is Turkey’s highest judiciary board.
Turkish law enforcement agencies in Ankara and Istanbul have also said that 2,839 soldiers and officers, including some Generals and dozens of colonels, who were implicated in the overnight coup attempt have been arrested.
Turkish government accuses pro-Gulenist organization of the coup attempt, saying the overthrow attempt was carried out by a clique of supporters of the US-based opposition Islamic cleric within the military.
However a US-based group of supporters of Gulen, Alliance for Shared Values group, rejected the accusations and called such allegations "highly irresponsible".
"We condemn any military intervention in domestic politics of Turkey," the Alliance for Shared Values group said in a statement
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has demanded extradition of Fethullah Gulen for his involvement in the coup plot.
Embroidered images of Fethullah Gulen (L) & Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) displayed in a shop
Responding to Erdogan’s call, US State Secretary John Kerry said that Gulen will be extradited to Turkey if considerable evidence would be produced against him, according to media reports.
Fethullah Gulen was an ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan until 2013. The relationship turned sour after a corruption scandal implicated Mr. Erdogan, who then accused Mr. Gulen of being behind the corruption investigations.
