Turkish army to hire over 40,000 personnel
Michael D’Costa : The Turkish army will hire nearly 43,000 new personnel in 2018, according to state media, after thousands of staff were dismissed in purges following the July 2016 failed coup attempt. Al Jazeera
Anadolu Agency on Tuesday quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the new recruits would include 3,755 officers and 5,375 non-commissioned staff.
According to the report, the forces will also hire 13,213 specialised sergeants and 20,595 contracted officers.
Turkey accuses Fethullah Gulen, a religious leader who lives in self-imposed exile in the United States, and his group of orchestrating the coup attempt which killed around 300 people and led to massive purges, including in the military and other state institutions.
The government says the purges and detentions are aimed at removing Gulen’s supporters from state institutions and other parts of society.