Turkey fires 1,700 military officers and closes dozens of media groups

Nearly 1,700 officers have been formally discharged from Turkey's military following the country's failed coup, according to the state-run news agency.

The government has also decided to close down dozens of media organisations, including 45 newspapers and 16 television stations, the Anadolu Agency added.

The Turkish government says a US-based Muslim cleric was behind the failed uprising by a faction within the military that led to some 290 deaths on July 15.

Thousands have been detained for suspected links to the coup. Tens of thousands have also been purged from state institutions.

A sign reading in Turkish "Traitors' Cemetery" is seen in front of unmarked graves, built specifically to hold the bodies of coup plotters who died in the failed military coup of July 15.

KEYWORDS: turkey, coup, military, media