Turkey fires 4,464 teachers, police in crackdown

Feb. 8 (UPI) -- The Turkish government fired 4,464 public servants, including teachers and police personnel, because of suspected ties to alleged terrorists.

The government announced the latest crackdown in a decree Tuesday.

According to a notice in the Official Gazette, the detainees are linked to what the Turkish government classifies as a terror group called the Fethullah Terrorist Organization. They are allegedly inspired by Fethullah Gulen, an imam the Turkish government blames for inspiring an attempted coup on July 15.

The firings included 2,585 Education Ministry staff, 893 from the gendarmerie forces, 417 from the General Security Directorate, 49 from the Interior Ministry and 520 from other ministries.

Dismissed was İbrahim Kaboğlu, a prominent Constitution professor who opposed recent changes to the Constitution that gave Recep Tayyip Erdogan greater executive powers.

The government's decree also included the firing of court clerks, computer experts and librarians.

The current government has removed or suspended more than 125,000 people and arrested 40,000 since the attempted coup in July to overthrow the Erdogan government. More than 240 people, mostly civilians, were killed during the attempted coup.

Turkey says the coup was carried out by Gulen, though he has denied the allegations and is in hiding in the United States.

The dismissals came hours after the first phone conversation between Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump.

The White House in a statement said the two leaders spoke "about the close, long-standing relationship between the United States and Turkey and their shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms. President Trump reiterated U.S. support to Turkey as a strategic partner and NATO ally, and welcomed Turkey's contributions to the counter-[Islamic State] campaign."