Istanbul (dpa) - A new wave of mass dismissals and shuttering of associations by decree hit Turkey on Tuesday, as the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced nearly 10,000 members of the security forces were affected.7,586 police officers were dismissed along with another 1,988 military personnel, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. By decree, 550 associations were also shuttered along with 19 health service providers and nine press organizations.Meanwhile, detention orders were issued for 60 members of the air force, the agency reported.The measures come under Turkey‘s ongoing state-of-emergency, which was put in place after a failed coup attempt by a faction in the military in July.Erdogan blames the putsch on US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen, his one-time ally, and stepped up a crackdown in recent months against his alleged followers.Critics say the purges and mass arrests in Turkey are spreading to other opposition groups, including media outlets and Kurdish factions.Civil servants are often named in the dismissal decrees, which are published publicly online in the Official Gazette, a controversial practice as the orders are made without a court.
