Turkish President Orders To Close Down Military Academics After Coup

MEP: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced Saturday all military schools will be closed down in the country in a move designed to bring the military under tighter government control after a failed coup.

Erdogan told А Haber TV channel the proposals would be brought before parliament.

He added that the military academies would be replaced with a national defense university.

The changes, some of which Erdogan said would likely be announced in the government’s official gazette by Sunday, come after more than 1,700 military personnel were dishonorably discharged this week for their role in the failed July 15-16 coup.

The authorities say Fetullah Gulen was behind the army-led coup in which at least 246 people died. The US-based cleric denies the allegation.

Over 5,000 cadets were studying at Turkey’s military schools before the military coup attempt in this country.

Currently, four military schools operate in Turkey.

“We are going to introduce a small constitutional package (to parliament) which, if approved, will bring the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and chief of staff under the control of the presidency,” The President said.

Turkey’s Western allies condemned the attempted coup, but have been rattled by the scale of the resulting crackdown.

Erdogan also said that a total of 10,137 people have been formally arrested following the coup.