Turkey Formally Charges 99 Generals, Admirals For Coup Attempt

July 20, 2016

Turkey has formally charged 99 military generals for their role in the failed coup attempt on July 15.

The 99 generals represent about a third of the country's military top brass.

Around 50,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants, and teachers have been rounded up, sacked, or suspended since the military coup attempt. 

Many are suspected of having links to the alleged orchestrator of the coup, U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who has strongly rejected any involvement. 

The Turkish government on July 20 also banned all academics from foreign travel as part of wide-ranging restrictions put in place in Turkey. 

The announcement comes one day after Turkey's High Board sacked 1,577 deans at universities across Turkey and revoked the licenses of some 21,000 teachers working in private institutions.

Meanwhile, Turkey's telecom agency on July 20 blocked access to the WikiLeaks website one day after it leaked hundreds of thousands of e-mails from the ruling Justice and Development party.