Thirty Turkish governors and more than 50 high-ranking civil servants have been removed from their posts, broadcaster CNN Turk reported on Monday. News channels also reported the number of police removed from duty stood at 8,777, amid what is seen as a purge of state structures. Turkey has detained a total of 103 generals and admirals in the wake of the failed coup aimed at overthrowing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, state media said on Monday. The top military figures have been detained in sweeps across the country after Friday's attempted putsch, the Anadolu news agency said, in what appears to be a major purge of the armed forces. They are now being taken to courts to decide on remanding them in custody. Ten generals have already been remanded in custody ahead of trial, the Dogan news agency said. Those detained are accused of seeking to violate the Turkish constitution and attempting to overthrow the authorities by force. They are also accused of belonging to what the authorities call the Fethullahci Terror Organization (FETO) led by Fethullah Gulen, the exiled US-based preacher who Erdogan blames for the coup. Meanwhile, Turkish security forces on Monday killed an armed attacker who shot at them from a vehicle outside the Ankara courthouse where suspects from the failed coup were appearing before judges, reports said. The Dogan news agency said the attacker was killed by police while two other people were arrested. It was not clear if the incident was linked to the coup but television reports said that the attacker was a soldier, without giving further details. Armored vehicles and police had rushed to the scene in the capital, which is on a security alert following the coup bid. Turkey has detained more than 7,500 suspects involved in the coup plot, the prime minister said on Monday. "So far 7,543 suspects have been detained. The numbers may change. It includes 100 police, 6,038 soldiers, 755 judges and prosecutors and 650 civilians," Binali Yildirim said. A total of 316 of the detainees have been remanded in custody, he noted. Giving a new toll, he said 208 people were killed by the coup bid, including 145 civilians, 60 police and three soldiers. A total of 1,491 were wounded, he added. In addition, the authorities have said more than 100 coup plotters were killed. Yildirim said that it was not correct to make a hasty decision about the death penalty, but Turkey cannot ignore the demands of its own people. Crowds at rallies have repeatedly called for the death penalty for the plotters of the failed coup. Turkey outlawed capital punishment in line with its efforts to join the European Union. Yildirim also said in his comments following a Cabinet meeting that reinstating the death penalty would require constitutional change. However, EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogeherini said Monday that Turkey would be barred from joining the bloc if it reinstated the death penalty. "Let me be very clear... no country can become an EU state if it introduces the death penalty," Mogeherini said when asked about the possible impact on long-stalled accession talks with Ankara. A spokesman for the German government also said that Turkey cannot join the European Union if it reinstates the death penalty. "Germany and the member states of the EU have a clear position on that: We categorically reject the death penalty," government spokesman Steffen Seibert told a news conference. "A country that has the death penalty can't be a member of the European Union and the introduction of the death penalty in Turkey would therefore mean the end of accession negotiations."
