ANKARA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has dismissed about 33,000 teachers over alleged links to the outlawed Gulen movement since the coup attempt last summer, state-run Anadolu Agency reported Friday.
Turkish Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz was quoted as telling a fast-breaking dinner here on Thursday that this was a result of disciplinary investigations of teachers for their involvement in illegal activities.
Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based preacher, is blamed by the Turkish government for orchestrating a failed military coup attempt on July 15, 2016, after which the Turkish government declared a state of emergency.
The dismissals of teachers are part of the post-coup crackdown since last year launched by the Turkish government.
The authorities have arrested over 45,000 people and dismissed around 150,000 others from their posts, mostly from the military, police, government agencies, the judiciary and universities, according to press reports.
