Turkey dismisses 87 spy agency staff over failed coup

Ankara: Turkey has dismissed 87 staff from its spy agency over alleged links to the failed July 15 coup which sought to oust the government, state media reported on Tuesday.

Eighty-seven out of 141 personnel suspended in an internal probe have been expelled from the National Intelligence Organisation, Anadolu news agency reported. Criminal complaints have been lodged against 52 of them, it added.

Turkey has fired tens of thousands of people from state institutions in the wake of the attempted putsch but this is the first announcement of dismissals from the powerful spy agency.

Turkey`s secret service was widely criticised for not warning authorities about the coup bid and the government has acknowledged a vacuum in gathering intelligence.

The government has blamed supporters of US-based Muslim preacher Fethullah Gulen for the coup, and has on several occasions asked US authorities to extradite him.

The preacher, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, has denied any involvement in the putsch.