Turkish Defense Ministry to Employ Over 30,000 Servicemen Amid Mass Dismissals

ANKARA (Sputnik) — Over 30,000 servicemen will join the Turkish Armed Forces in the near future amid mass arrests and dismissals among military following a failed coup attempt in July, the Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

"It is planned to employ 30,159 new servicemen, including 1,322 officers, 2,547 sergeants, 7,159 lance-corporals, and 11,907 contract soldiers," the statement reads.

According to the statement, the authorities will increase the enrollment at military universities. The army will accept applications for vacancies until November 30, according to the statement.

On July 15, a military coup attempt took place in Turkey. It was suppressed the following day. Over 240 people were killed during the coup attempt and an estimated 2,000 were wounded. Ankara has accused Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has been living in the US state of Pennsylvania since 1999, and his followers of playing a key role in the coup. Gulen has condemned the coup and denied the allegations.

According to the Turkish Justice Ministry, a total of 32,000 military officers, high-ranking civil servants, judges and teachers, suspected of being Gulen supporters, have been arrested. Further dozens of thousands have been fired or suspended from their positions in the aftermath of the attempted coup.