Over 20,000 people have been dismissed from the Turkish
Armed Forces so far for links to the Fetullah Terrorist
Organization following the July 15 defeated coup, Defense Minister
Fikri Isik said on Thursday.
Among those dismissed are 3,665 army personnel and 16,423
military students, Isik said.
Speaking at a parliamentary meeting in Ankara, the minister
added that another 2,855 army personnel remain under investigation
over similar allegations.
The minister vowed to fight against "FETO traitors" till the
very end and "until there is no single traitor left in Turkish
Armed Forces.
"It is a national duty to fight this terrorist organization,
this treason network. It is a matter of survival of the Republic of
Turkey."
Led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, FETO is accused of
orchestrating Turkey’s July 15 coup plot as well as being behind a
long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the
infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military,
police and judiciary.
The July 15 defeated coup left 247 martyred and around 2,200
others wounded.