Turkey purges 4,000 more public officials

The Turkish government expanded its crackdown on dissent and free expression over the weekend, purging nearly 4,000 more public officials, blocking access to Wikipedia and banning television matchmaking shows.

A total of 3,974 civil servants were fired Saturday from several ministries and judicial bodies, and 45 civil society groups and health clinics were shut down, according to a decree published in Turkey’s gazette.

Turkish internet users also woke up Saturday to find that they no longer had access to Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia written by volunteers.

The dismissals mean that an estimated 140,000 people have now been purged from the state and private sectors, and more than 1,500 civil groups closed, since a failed coup last year.

It also ends opposition hopes that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may ease the crackdown and build greater national consensus after his narrow victory in a recent referendum to expand the power of his office.

Instead, Erdogan has accelerated the process. Since the referendum, and before Saturday’s move, police had detained more than 1,000 workers and suspended a further 9,000 accused of having ties to an Islamic group founded by a U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen.

The organization was once allied with Erdogan, but is now accused by the government of masterminding the failed attempt to overthrow him in July. Those purged Saturday were also accused of having connections to Gulen.

The crackdown has also affected leftists, liberals and members of the secular opposition across most sections of public life.