New Turkish police chief named

By Orhan Onur , Fatih Cakmak

ANKARA

A new head Turkey’s law enforcement was announced early Saturday.

Selami Altinok, who served as interior minister in 2015 during the coalition government under former PM Ahmet Davutoglu, took over the role of General Director of Security as per a statutory decree published the Official Gazette.

Altinok, who was serving as undersecretary at the interior ministry, was Istanbul’s police chief between 2013 and 2015.

The same decree also reassigned the governors of seven and relocated four current or former governors to the central office, including Cemalettin Lekesiz, whom Altinok is replacing after two years at the post.

Since July 15 coup attempt, which left 240 martyred and 2,200 others injured, thousands of people have been dismissed or suspended in government institutions over suspected links to Fetullah Terrorist Organization held responsible by Turkish authorities for the bloody putsch.