Turkish government dismisses 15,000 as coup investigation widens

The investigation into the attempted coup in Turkey earlier this year has intensified, with another 15,000 civil servants, military officials and police officers losing their jobs.

The news was announced on Tuesday as 375 institutions and news outlets were shut, as the government in Ankara takes further measures to crack down on dissent in the country.

It is the latest crackdown from President Tayyip Erdogan, which until now has seen 36,000 people jailed and over 100,000 suspensions or sackings from those in public service.

Erdogan has placed the blame for the coup in the direction of Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen and his supporters.

Western governments have expressed concern over the actions of Turkey since the failed takeover in June, with some even recommending the freezing of the process for it to enter the European Union.

There have been reports that Erdogan is considering the reintroduction of the death penalty as a further counter measure against the rising dissent.

Specifically, 1,988 armed forces personnel, 7,586 police officers, and more than 5,000 public institution workers lost their jobs on Tuesday.

The country remains under a state of emergency, after Erdogan made the declaration in July of this year.

Despite the news, as of 1058 GMT the Turkish lira was little changed versus the US dollar, with the latter just 0.04% stronger at 3.36.