Erdogan Suspends, Detains Over 50,000 after Coup Attempt

A Turkish soldier, arrested by civilians, is walked to be handed to police officers in Istanbul’s Taksim Square, early Saturday. (Photo: AP)

ANKARA, ISTANBUL (Reuters)””Turkey vowed to root out allies of the U.S.-based cleric it blames for an abortive coup last week, widening a purge of the army, police and judiciary on Tuesday to universities and schools, the intelligence agency and religious authorities.

Around 50,000 soldiers, police, judges, civil servants and teachers have been suspended or detained since the coup attempt, stirring tensions across the country of 80 million which borders Syria’s chaos and is a Western ally against Islamic State.

“This parallel terrorist organization will no longer be an effective pawn for any country,”