Erdogan’s historic purge of dissidents and adversaries – many of which curiously are to be found in the country’s educational system – continues, and according to the latest count, a total of around 50,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended or detained since the coup attempt, stirring tensions across the country of 80 million which borders Syria’s chaos and is a Western ally against Islamic State.
The ongoing cleansing has also spooked Turkish investors sending local markets and the currency sliding on concerns Erdogan is going to far with his retribution.
In response, Turkey said it would announce emergency measures on Wednesday to try “to shore up stability and prevent damage to the economy” which is paradoxically reeling as a result not so much of the coup as Turkey’s reaction to it. According to Reuters, Erdogan has vowed to clean the “virus” responsible for the plot from all state institutions. The depth and scale of the purges have raised concern among Western allies that Erdogan is trying to suppress all dissent, and that opponents unconnected with the plot will be caught in the net.
He will chair meetings in his palace on Wednesday of the cabinet and the National Security Council, after which a series of emergency measures are expected to be announced.
Not surprisingly, government ministers and top officials have not been briefed in advance of the meetings. “The cabinet meeting is classified at the highest level for national security reasons. The palace will give ministers a dossier just beforehand,” one senior official told Reuters. – READ MORE
