Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag said Tuesday 16,000 people have been formally arrested and remanded in custody in connection with last month's failed coup attempt, while another 6,000 detainees are still being processed.
Another 7,668 people are under investigation but are not currently detained, he said in an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency, broadcast live on Turkish television channels.
Turkey has detained, removed or suspended tens of thousands of people in the judiciary, military, police, public service and elsewhere over alleged links with the abortive July 15 putsch, when a faction of the military tried to oust President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the government.