President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has continued his purging of ‘undesirable citizens’ by closing down schools across the country amid a state of emergency in Turkey. Erdogan’s purge of Gulen supporters continued on its relentless path on Saturday as hundreds of schools, charities and other institutions suspected of being linked to the US-based cleric were shut down. Rt.com reports: The decree issued by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is his first since the state of emergency was declared on Wednesday. He has ordered the closure of 1,043 private schools, 1,229 charities and foundations, 19 trade unions, 15 universities and 35 medical institutions, state news agency Anadolu reported on Saturday. The organizations slated to be shut down are suspected of links with US-based Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan, who turned into his fierce opponent. The Turkish government accused Gulen of having a hand behind the last week’s coup attempt as well as earlier attacks on it. In the wake of the weekend violence, which claimed at least 246 lives, Ankara launched a massive purge of suspected Gulen supporters among the military, police, judges, municipal officials and other branches of the government. Another such measure ordered by Erdogan on Saturday [...]
