1,500 more judges and prosecutors to be suspended from judiciary

1,500 more judges and prosecutors to be suspended from judiciary

ANKARA
1,500 more judges and prosecutors to be suspended from judiciary A further 1,500 judges and prosecutors were planned to be suspended over suspected links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY), believed to be behind the July 15 failed coup attempt. 

The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) was preparing a decree to hand out a second wave of suspensions over the failed takeover, daily Habertürk reported on Aug. 9.

Hundreds of judges and prosecutors were suspended after the coup attempt. The HSYK General Assembly initially ended the membership of five members in accordance with the detention decisions of the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Some 3,000 prosecutors and judges were suspended, which was followed by 64 suspensions from the Constitutional Court, while two members were dismissed. 

The HSYK will suspend a further 1,500 judges and prosecutors with a decree that has been kept secret and worked on confidentially, according to the daily. The suspended personnel with links to FETÖ will also be dismissed, which will be determined via a disciplinary procedure. 

In addition, special preparations were being made in prisons where FETÖ members were due to serve time in Ankara and Istanbul.

In a similar incident, a total of 2,560 personnel were suspended from the Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) over suspected links to U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, bringing the number of suspensions from Diyanet to 3,672 since the failed takeover. 

“A total of 2,560 personnel linked to FETÖ/PDY were suspended from all of the ranks in Diyanet. The commissions formed by the directorate have been continuing their efforts regarding the issue,” a statement released from Diyanet read on Aug. 9.