Turkish riot police stand guard outside a courthouse where prosecutors are questioning hundreds of coup plotters, in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Burhan Ozbilici /Press Association. All rights reserved.Dear HR/VP Federica Mogherini,
Dear Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland,
On Friday 15 July, Turkey experienced an attempted coup, which has resulted in more than 200 victims, mostly civilians, and more than 1400 wounded. Immediately after the failed coup, the Turkish Government started a massive, totally disproportionate purge within the State apparatus. Since the day of the coup, as of 20 July 2016, the total number of purges (suspension from duty and arrests) in public services has totalled more than 61,000 people. The following sectors have been in particular purged: Ministry of Justice (2875 judges and prosecutors), Prime Ministry (257 personnel), Interior Ministry (8,777 police officers, gendarmerie, province governors, local governors and staff), National Education Ministry (21,738 personnel suspended), Higher Education Council (116 professors, including 4 rectors, + 1577 university deans asked to resign), Minister of the Family and Social Policies (393 civil servants), Finance Ministry (1500 personnel), National Intelligence Service (100 personnel), Turkish Energy Regulatory Market (25 personnel). Development Ministry (16 personnel), Ministry of Forestry and Water Management (197 personnel), Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (300 personnel), Ministry of Youth and Sports (245 personnel), Ministry of Environment and Urbanization (70 personnel), Radio Television Supreme Council (29 personnel), Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (86 personnel), Ministry of Customs and Trade (176 personnel), Competition Authority (8 personnel), Military Court of Appeals (35 personnel), Defence Ministry (7 personnel), Istanbul Stock Market (51 personnel).
