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Turkey frees about 34,000 prisoners, making space after coup round up

Turkey frees about 34,000 prisoners, making space after coup round up

By REUTERS

File- The seal is seen on a gate of a girls dormitory which was sealed by Turkish authorities over alleged links to the followers of US based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey accused of staging a coup attempt in July, in Ankara, Turkey, on August 16, 2016. Photo: Reuters

ANKARA: Turkish authorities have so far released 33,838 prisoners, the justice minister said on Friday, after Turkey said it was releasing 38,000 inmates from prisons to make space for tens of thousands detained over suspected links to a July coup attempt. Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag made the comments in a news conference. Turkey has said it would release a total of 38,000 prisoners as part of its penal reforms in the wake of the July coup that tried to topple President Tayyip Erdogan's government. Turkey has dismissed about 80,000 people from public posts, and many have also been detained in the post-coup round-up.