Dismissal of 30 Governors and Eight Thousand Police in Turkey

While reports indicate that most of the coup plotters in Turkey on Friday were among the military, on Monday it was reported that the Turkish government, continuing its actions following the suppression of the coup, has dismissed approximately eight thousand police forces across the country. The Turkish newspaper "Hürriyet" reported on Monday, July 18, that among those dismissed from the police force are several senior members of the Turkish police. Turkish state media also reported on Monday that since the coup attempt, a total of 103 generals and admirals of the Turkish military have been arrested. According to the latest news, on Monday, 30 governors and more than 50 senior administrative officials in Turkey were also dismissed; Turkey has 81 provinces. The Anadolu Agency reported that on Monday at least 1,800 special forces from the Turkish military were transferred from various regions of the country to Istanbul, and "special equipment" was also brought to the city. The mayor of Istanbul declared a state of emergency and ordered that any helicopter flying over the city without permission be shot down. The failed coup on Friday against the government of Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has left 290 dead and 1,440 injured according to the latest statistics, which do not include casualties among the coup plotters themselves. Turkish officials reported the arrest of more than 6,000 people in the early days following the suppression of the coup. Meanwhile, it has been reported that more than 20 companies linked to Fethullah Gülen, Erdoğan's political rival, have faced government crackdowns in recent days, including "Asia Bank" and some opposition media. The Erdoğan government accuses Fethullah Gülen, a cleric residing in the U.S., of being involved in planning the failed coup, an accusation that Gülen denies. Arrests in Turkey continue as, according to Reuters, Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign affairs chief, stated on Monday that recent developments should not be used by the Erdoğan government as an "excuse" to abandon the rule of law. Prior to her, Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French foreign minister, also stated that the Turkish president should not use this event as a "blank check" to suppress opponents. Meanwhile, WikiLeaks, the document-leaking website, tweeted on Monday that it intends to "disclose documents regarding the power structure in Turkey." The tweet read: "Prepare for battle as we are going to release 100,000 documents about the political power structure in Turkey." In this context, the Ministry of Interior stated that no individual or official has entered Iran from Turkey following the events. What will happen to the eight Turkish military personnel who sought asylum in Greece? The Pentagon has announced the reopening of the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. France has warned Erdoğan about the cleansing process following the coup.