DHAKA: The Turkish government has sacked almost 4,000 more public officials in what appears to be the latest purge related to a failed coup last July, reports BBC.

They include more than 1,000 justice ministry workers, a similar number of army staff and more than 100 air force pilots, officials said.

In a separate decree, Turkey banned TV dating shows - a move previously mooted by the government.

Earlier on Saturday (December 23), Turkey blocked the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia.

The latest sackings follow the suspension of more than 9,000 police officers and the arrest of 1,000 more last Wednesday (December 20) on suspicion of having links to the US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accuses Gulen of instigating last year's coup attempt, a charge the cleric denies.

The government said in its Official Gazette that all those sacked were suspected of links to "terrorist organizations and structures presenting a threat to national security".

Erdogan narrowly won a controversial 16 April referendum on increasing his powers.
Opponents fear the vote, which has divided Turkey, brings him closer to authoritarian rule.

The ban on TV dating programs follows a warning in March by Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus that the shows do not fit in with Turkish traditions and customs.

"There are some strange programs that would scrap the institution of family, take away its nobility and sanctity," he said at the time.

Critics of Turkey's governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) say they fear the country is sliding toward conservative Islam under Erdogan.

However, AKP supporters say dating shows receive thousands of complaints and the ban is in the public interest.

Turkey has temporarily blocked social media sites including Facebook and Twitter in the past, usually following protests or terror attacks.

BDST: 1533 HRS, DEC 24, 2017
SI