The purges have targeted supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of masterminding the July 15-16 failed coup. Interior Minister Efkan Ala said more than 18,000 people had been detained over the failed coup, and that 50,000 passports had been cancelled. State-run Anadolu Agency reported that 758 soldiers were released on the recommendation of prosecutors after giving testimony. President Erdogan has several times hinted he wants to terminate the agreement," European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Austria's Kurier newspaper in an interview, when asked if the pact could fall apart. The cleric denies the charges and Erdogan's critics say the president is using the purges to clamp down on dissent.

Source: Thanhnien News July 30, 2016 15:56 UTC