The Turkish Justice Minister says more than 26 thousand people have been detained in relation to the July 15th failed military coup attempt.

He made the remarks on Turkish television. A faction of Turkey's armed forces attempted to overthrow the government last month, but their efforts failed when thousands of supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took to the streets to defy the coup attempt.

Following the events, the government discharged over 15 thousand employees from the education ministry and the prime minister's office. The government claimed those detained or fired had links to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Islamic cleric whom Turkey accuses of orchestrating the coup. However, Gulen has denied the accusation.