A month on from the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey, which claimed the lives of 240 people and 40 coup plotters, authorities have cracked down on a large number of people who, they say, are linked to the attempted uprising.
Each of the figures below represents one person who has been affected in the post-coup crackdown. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has defended the actions, saying they are necessary to root out enemies of the state.
But many in the international community have condemned the purge as a “witch hunt” and expressed concern that his government have used the coup attempt to target opposition and jail dissidents.
ARRESTED, DETAINED AND UNDER INVESTIGATION
THE POLICE
The crackdown has not been confined to arrests and detentions. More than 81,000 people have been fired or suspended from their jobs.
THE ARMED FORCES
Turkish authorities claim that an estimated 1.5% of the army were involved in the coup attempt. Since the coup, Turkish Armed Forces have come down heavily on the country’s security forces, stripping personnel by as much as a third of the general-rank command, state broadcaster Anadolu previously reported. This upheaval in the country’s military has left many concerned about how this could affect Turkey’s ongoing efforts to help fight ISIS as a NATO member.
THE EDUCATION SYSTEM
In the immediate aftermath of the coup, Erodgan laid blame at the feet of self-exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey has called a “terrorist leader.” And as the crackdown continued, professors – at both state and private institutions – were investigated for any possible links to Gulen, the Ministry of Education said.
THE MEDIA
The widespread crackdown has also extended to the country’s media organizations. Erodgan cited the actions as steps required to neutralize the “threat,” but international industry bodies, including Reporters Without Borders, have denounced the move as a “growing persecution” of critical media.
THE JUDICIARY
Top Turkish court officials – including members of the Supreme Court – were also rounded up by officials following the coup despite a lack of evidence of involvement.
Click here to learn more about how many people have been caught up in Turkey’s purge of civil servants.
