Top Turkish court decides to reinstate 178 judges and prosecutors dismissed by gov’t decree

Turkey’s Council of State has ruled for the reinstatement of 178 judges and prosecutors who were dismissed by government decrees on the grounds that they were affiliated with the Gülen network, referred to as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) by the Turkish government.

Duvar English

The Council of State, Turkey's highest administrative body, has ruled to reinstate 178 judges and prosecutors to their posts who were previously dismissed by government decrees (KHK), accused by being a member of the Gülen network, referred to as the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) by the Turkish government.

The court also ordered the state to pay compensation to judges and prosecutors for their absence of duty, the pro-government daily Sabah reported as a scandal.

After the decision, 122 of the members of the judiciary were reinstated. The Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) will decide whether to appeal or not the decision for the 56 members.

More than 100,000 people have been removed from their jobs since the coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The government argues that it is cleansing the state apparatus of followers of the exiled Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, which it calls the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ) and blames for the failed coup.