Turkey fires 10,000 workers for alleged ties to July coup attempt

ANKARA, Turkey, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- More than 10,000 civil servants were fired from their jobs and 15 media outlets shut down for alleged ties to a deadly July coup attempt in Turkey.

Turkish authorities said all those dismissed, including academics, health workers and teachers, were among those with links to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fetullah Gulen, whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating the failed coup attempt, Yenisafak reported.

The dismissals came through an emergency decree issued Saturday. The process includes changes in the way university rectors are chosen. In the new process, the president will directly appoint the universities' head academics from candidates nominated by the Council of Higher Education.

The firings bring to more than 100,000 whose jobs have been lost or suspended, including those with jobs in security services and the judiciary, Bloomberg reported.

The government gave itself emergency powers after the coup attempted by factions of the Turkish military and has tried, unsuccessfully to get Gulen extradited, though he denies any involvement in the botched government takeover.

Coup plotters used F-16 fighter jets, helicopters and tanks to target civilians, public offices, intelligence headquarters and police offices, as well as the parliament building and Turkey's presidential palace.