100,000 Turkish civil servants appeal dismissals

By Kemal Karadag

ANKARA

More than 100,000 public sector staff have applied to be reinstated to their jobs after being dismissed in the wake of last year’s attempted coup, a government official said Friday.

According to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, the State of Emergency Procedures Investigation Commission received 103,276 applications since May 22.

The official did not provide any information on the numbers who had succeeded or failed in appealing their dismissals in the wake of last year’s attempted coup.

Tens of thousands of staff in the civil service, police, military and judiciary were sacked under emergency powers, with some subsequently arrested and jailed, over alleged ties to the group that led the July 15 coup attempt.

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) orchestrated the failed putsch, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Prior to the bid to overthrow the government, FETO infiltrated state institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, with its supporters.

The commission was established to allow civil servants to appeal legal action taken against them under the state of emergency imposed following the coup attempt.

The official said those who had been cleared would be reinstated to their former positions within 15 days.

Those whose appeals are rejected will be able to take their cases to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors.