Turkey: 30,000 cops dismissed over FETO ties

ANKARA

Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop said Wednesday more than 30,000 police constables were dismissed from service as part of the fight against Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup.

Speaking at the deputy police chiefs graduation ceremony in the capital Ankara, Sentop said one-third of these dismissals were of high-ranking officers.

"Similarly, 1,866 were suspended as part of the relevant investigations,” he added.

He said 10,311 officers were reinstated after no documents supporting the allegations were found.

The official recalled the attempts the terror group had made to infiltrate into the Police Academy starting from the 80s.

Remembering the martyrs of the 2016 coup bid, Sentop said: "May they rest in peace."

Sentop reiterated the critical role the Police Academy plays in maintaining security and peace not only nationally, but also internationally by training forces from 76 different countries.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

* Writing by Can Atalay