People shout slogans and wave Turkish national flags as they gather in solidarity night after night since the July 15 coup attempt in central Ankara, Turkey, July 27, 2016.
(Photo:Reuters)
Turkey aims to prevent its armed forces from again being used to stage a coup, Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Monday, after the government announced sweeping changes to the structure of the military over the weekend.
His comments came after Turkey dismissed nearly 1,400 more members of its armed forces and stacked the top military council with government ministers on Sunday, moves designed by President Tayyip Erdogan to put him in full control of the military after a failed July 15-16 coup.
Kurtulmus, speaking at a news conference following a cabinet meeting, also criticized Germany's decision to prevent Erdogan addressing an anti-coup rally in the city of Cologne by video link on Sunday, saying it smacked of "double standards".
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