Turkey's Armed Forces will employ some 43,000 new people in 2018, a military source told to the Turkish state news agency Anadolu Agency (AA).
The source, under anonymous conditions, said the new recruits would include 3,755 officers and 5,375 NCOs. There will also be employed 13,213 specialized sergeants and 20,595 soldiers with contracts, the source added.
It is emphasized that Turkey's Ministry of Defense continues to work to hire qualified and educated personnel.The source said that the total of 8,565 staff members, including 150 generals, 4,630 officers, 2,167 non-commissioned officers, 1,210 specialized sergeants and contracted soldiers, as well as 411 civil servants and workers, are expelled for their connection with the FETO terrorist organization after the coup attempt in July 2016.
To overcome staff shortages the ministry employed a total of 15,850 people, including 1,763 officers, 4,135 non-commissioned officers, 3,698 specialized sergeants, 6,162 soldiers with contracts and 92 civil servants.
FETO and its US-based leader, Fetullah Gülen, orchestrated the defeated coup of the state, which lead to 250 people killed and about 2,200 wounded. The FETO terrorist organization has been behind a long campaign to overthrow the state through infiltration into Turkish institutions, particularly in the military, police and judiciary, AA reports.