It has been months since the coup against the present administration ended. Still, Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan remains on the lookout against any remaining remnants of the failed putsch.
As the purging process continues, the Turkish government is digging deep into its ranks to ensure that its sphere of influence and control is steered clear against all forms of threat. This extensive campaign has just netted around 15,000 state personnel whose professions ranged from being a soldier to a clerk and to a nurse.
Along the way, the termination of such jobs has also resulted in the closure of about 375 departments. Some news agencies have also been shut down. Overall, the number of people dismissed under Erdogan's reign has now totaled to more than 125,000. Among these, around 36,000 are in jail due to their affiliations with Western and human rights groups.
According to the President, the strict undertakings are necessary since it will inhibit the connections of the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen who is suspected to have orchestrated the botched regime takeover last July. It is believed that supporters of the religious leader, who has denied any involvement, have been positioned inside many government institutions in preparation for seizure of power in the future.
In a conference, Erdogan refuses to let his guard down, stating that the shake-up in the military, judiciary and police ranks are yet to be completed. He vows to do everything that is needed to take down the threat.
The impact of the coup last July has been devastating for Turkey as the NATO member-country, which was supposed to play a key role in repelling extremist factions like the Islamic State (IS), was shaken to the core.
While the crackdown may have figured prominently in the fight against government stabilizers, the process in implementing the campaign has been questionable. Investigations leading to the removal of many workers have been done without bases considering that those dismissed are simply given their walking papers due to their alleged affiliation with terrorist groups.
Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Liberals in the European Parliament, shares that, with media outlets closed, a lot of individuals in jail and the judiciary under political control, the people's relationship with the government has become more of culpability.
