Turkish courts have so far handed jail terms to more than 2,000 suspects over the failed 2016 coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a government minister said Thursday.

"Out of 287 court cases, 171 have been decided: 2,140 defendants have been given jail terms and 1,478 of them have been acquitted," Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul told state news agency Anadolu.

"I guess the remaining cases will be finalised by the end of 2018," he said.

The government accuses US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the failed putsch but Gulen vehemently denies the claims.&nbsp

Thousands of people including soldiers, police officers and judges have been arrested since then in a crackdown on the Gulen movement which Turkey has dubbed the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" or FETO.

The trials are taking place in several cities throughout Turkey.&nbsp

Tens of thousands of people have been suspended or sacked from the public sector including teachers, police officers and judges under decrees imposed under the state of emergency declared after the failed coup in July two years ago.&nbsp

The magnitude of the crackdown has been widely criticised by the West but Ankara insists the raids are needed to rid Turkey of what Erdogan describes as the "virus" created by Gulen followers' infiltration into key Turkish institutions.

Turkish courts have so far handed jail terms to more than 2,000 suspects over the failed 2016 coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a government minister said Thursday

Turkish courts have so far handed jail terms to more than 2,000 suspects over the failed 2016 coup aimed at unseating President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a government minister said Thursday. "Out of 287 court cases, 171 have been decided: 2,140 defendants have been given jail terms and 1,478 of them have been acquitted," Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul told state news agency Anadolu. "I guess the remaining cases will be finalised by the end of 2018," he said. The government accuses US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the failed putsch but Gulen vehemently denies the claims. Thousands of people including soldiers, police officers and judges have been arrested since then in a crackdown on the Gulen movement which Turkey has dubbed the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" or FETO. The trials are taking place in several cities throughout Turkey. Tens of thousands of people have been suspended or sacked from the public sector including teachers, police officers and judges under decrees imposed under the state of emergency declared after the failed coup in July two years ago. The magnitude of the crackdown has been widely criticised by the West but Ankara insists the raids are needed to rid Turkey of what Erdogan describes as the "virus" created by Gulen followers' infiltration into key Turkish institutions.

Over 2,000 suspects given jail terms in Turkey coup trials: Minister

More than 15,000 Turkish state education employees have been suspended after last week&#39;s attempted coup, the education ministry said today. 
 
It said in a statement: &quot;15,200 state employees have been suspended and an investigation has been launched into them&quot;. 
 
The ministry said the suspensions were linked to the &quot;Fethullah Terrorist Organisation&quot; (FETO), which is how it labels the loose network of followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a foe of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. 
 
Erdogan has laid the blame fully on Gulen and his followers who have strongly denied any links to the putsch. 
 
&quot;There is an investigation into those linked to FETO,&quot; the ministry said, but did not give further details on what kind of employees were suspended. 
 
Meanwhile, the country&#39;s higher education board demanded that 1,577 deans at universities resign, state-run news agency Anadolu reported today. 
 
Among the deans, 1,176 are from state universities, while 401 deans work at private foundation universities, Anadolu said. 
 
Since the failed putsch on Friday, about 9,000, including police and government officials, have been sacked. 
 
Another 7,500 have been detained including top generals accused of masterminding the plot. 
 
(AFP)

The education ministry said the suspensions were linked to the so-called 'Fethullah Terrorist Organisation' of a US-based Muslim cleric

More than 15,000 Turkish state education employees have been suspended after last week's attempted coup, the education ministry said today. It said in a statement: "15,200 state employees have been suspended and an investigation has been launched into them". The ministry said the suspensions were linked to the "Fethullah Terrorist Organisation" (FETO), which is how it labels the loose network of followers of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, a foe of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan has laid the blame fully on Gulen and his followers who have strongly denied any links to the putsch. "There is an investigation into those linked to FETO," the ministry said, but did not give further details on what kind of employees were suspended. Meanwhile, the country's higher education board demanded that 1,577 deans at universities resign, state-run news agency Anadolu reported today. Among the deans, 1,176 are from state universities, while 401 deans work at private foundation universities, Anadolu said. Since the failed putsch on Friday, about 9,000, including police and government officials, have been sacked. Another 7,500 have been detained including top generals accused of masterminding the plot. (AFP)

Turkey coup: 15,000 education staff suspended

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Over 2,000 suspects given jail terms in Turkey coup trials: Minister

Turkey coup: 15,000 education staff suspended