Turkey’s Prez orders closure of over 1000 schools linked to Gulen

London, July 23 : After declaring a three-month state of emergency in Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has in his first decree ordered the closure of more than 1,000 private schools and extended the period of detention without charge for criminal suspects. Erdogan said the state of emergency would enable the authorities to effectively root out supporters of last weekend's failed military coup in which at least 246 people were killed, reports the Guardian. The state of emergency, which was approved by the Parliament on Thursday, allows the government to pass laws without first having to win parliamentary support. Expulsion of the armed forces, police, judiciary and education system, particularly targeting the followers of a US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of masterminding the failed coup, has already been launched by the authorities. Reports suggest that the first decree signed by Erdogan authorises the closure of 1,043 private schools, 1,229 charities and foundations, 19 trade unions, 15 universities and 35 medical institutions over suspected links to the Gulen movement. Erdogan in an address yesterday vowed to bring to justice supporters of what he called the Gulenist "terrorist" movement.