Turkey dismisses 540 military personnel over links to failed coup

Turkey dismissed 540 military personnel over suspected links with US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his network, accused by Ankara of orchestrating a failed coup in July, Reuters reported the defence ministry as saying.

On 15 July, a rogue faction within the military staged an attempted coup in which more than 240 people were killed. Gulen, who has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999, denies government accusations he was behind the action.

The Turkish government placed the Gulen movement on its list of terrorist organisations last year.