More than 18,000 Turkish government employees have been fired for being threats to state security, in what could be the last government decree under a state of emergency that's been in place for almost two years.
The decree, published in the government register on Sunday, comes two weeks after national elections and amid promises that a state of emergency in place since an attempted coup in 2016 will soon be lifted.
Among those fired are about 9000 police officers and 6000 members of the armed forces, as well as teachers, university lecturers and workers for various ministries.
Ever since the coup, thousands of workers considered to have ties to hostile powers - particularly the Gulen movement, which supported the government until a falling out between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Fethullah Gulen - have been ousted and even imprisoned.
The register also announced that 12 clubs, three newspapers and one TV channel would be shut down. One of the shuttered newspapers is the pro-Kurdish publication Ozgurlukcu Demokrasis.
The reason given for the latest purge in Turkey was suspected links to terrorist organisations or activities that threaten state security.
More than 100,000 public-sector workers have been sacked on suspicion of links to Gulen, whom Ankara blames for the coup plot. An additional 70,000 people have been jailed and numerous media outlets and groups closed.
State news agency Anadolu said this would be the last such decree before the lifting of the state of emergency.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim - whose job is about to be removed thanks to constitutional changes - had said last week that the emergency should be lifted on Monday, when Erdogan is sworn in for his latest term.
Under current law, the state of emergency is set to stay in place until July 19.
It allows Erdogan to rule by decree and limits fundamental rights such as freedom of assembly.
The extraordinary measures were in place on and in the run-up to June 24 elections, when Erdogan secured another term under a new presidential system that gives him sweeping powers.
