Ankara, Jan 13 (IANS): Turkey announced the dismissal of 262 personnel in line with a new statutory decree.
According to the new decree published on Friday in the Official Gazette, 48 personnel were sacked from the Turkish Armed Forces, among whom 18 were from the land forces and 30 from the Naval forces, Xinhua news agency reported.
A total of 1,823 people, however, were reinstated.
They had been dismissed for allegedly using the ByLock app., an encrypted mobile phone application used by Gulenists to communicate during and after a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. Fethullah Gulen, a US-based preacher, is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the failed coup.
The Turkish government declared a state of emergency and launched a massive crackdown on Gulen's supporters in the aftermath of the coup attempt.