[DAWN] ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
on Saturday fired almost 4,000 public officials and imposed a ban on TV dating shows, in new decrees issued under the state of emergency imposed after last year's failed coup.
The moves were the latest tough action by the authorities following President Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him...
's victory in last month's referendum on enhancing his powers.
They were also announced as Turkey controversially slapped a ban on Wikipedia earlier on Saturday morning.
The total of 3,974 dismissed officials includes more than 1,000 people working with the justice ministry and over 1,000 staff employed by the army, said the decree, which included the name of every fired official.
Those fired from the air force included over 100 pilots, it added. Almost 500 academics working for state institutions were also dismissed.
The dismissals came after Turkey on April 26 detained more than 1,000 people and suspended over 9,100 police in a vast new crackdown against alleged supporters of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen
... a Turkish preacher living in Pennsylvania whom the current govt of Turkey considers responsible for all the ills afflicting Turkey and possibly the entire world...
blamed for the failed July 15 coup bid.
An already nine-month state of emergency in place since the coup bid has seen a total of 47,000 people placed in durance vile
You have the right to remain silent...
and prompted fears the crackdown is being used to go after all opponents of Erdogan.
Gulen denies being behind the coup but the authorities argue the purges are needed to wipe out his "virus" from society.