Turkey shuts down 131 media outlets

July 29, 2016
Issue 
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reviewing troops.

Turkey is shutting down more than 100 media outlets and is purging more than 1000 military personnel, it was announced on July 27 as President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government continues to tighten its grip on power after a failed military coup on July 15.

In all, 131 media outlets have been shut down, including television stations, newspapers and magazines. The government has begun detaining journalists, with 90 reporters ordered to be round up.

Nearly 50 journalists from the opposition Zaman newspaper have been issued detention orders. Zaman was shut down in March for its alleged links to the Gülenist movement, which the Erdoğan administration is blaming for the attempted coup.

The military has so far dishonourably discharged 1684 of its personnel for their alleged role in the failed coup, a government official said, according to CNN Turk. Of those discharged, 149 were either generals or admirals. Al Jazeera Turk reported that Erdoğan also aims to shut down all of Turkey's military schools.

Erdoğan has also ordered the shutdown of thousands of institutions, including schools, universities and trade unions. A presidential decree ordered a state of emergency following the failed coup.

Under the state of emergency, people can be detained for up to one month without charge, raising concerns among human rights groups. Many are saying Erdoğan is seeking to purge the country of anti-government elements.

Turkey's interior minister Efkana Ala has said that more than 15,000 people have been detained since the failed coup, with 8,113 people formally arrested and awaiting trial. The attempted coup left at least 265 dead and around 2000 injured.

[Abridged from TeleSUR English.]

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