Turkey issues travel ban on academics after failed coup

The decision comes at a time the government is carrying out a crackdown on bureaucrats suspected of being involved in last Friday's

attempted coup .

Since the

n , thousands of people in the judiciary, police forces and military have been sacked or detained.

"It is a temporary measure that we were compelled to take due to flight risk of alleged accomplices of coup plotters in universities," a Turkish official, who asked to stay anonymous, told Al Jazeera.

"Universities have always been crucial for military juntas in Turkey and certain individuals are believed to be in contact with cells within military," he added.

At least 290 people, including plotters, died Friday overnight after rebel soldiers attempted to overthrow the government, bombing state buildings and killing civilians and security forces. Sackings and suspensions

The travel ban on academics came a day after the higher education council, or YOK, demanded the resignation of a total of 1,577 deans at universities across the country.

In a separate move on Tuesday the education ministry also revoked the licences of 21,000 teachers working in private institutions. The government also suspended 15,200 state education employees.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused exiled Turkish businessman and cleric Fethullah Gulen of orchestrating the

attempted coup and is demanding that the US extradite him.

Gulen lives in Pennsylvania but retains vast interests in

Turkey ranging from media to finance to schools and wields influence in various apparatus including the judiciary and police.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told his Turkish counterpart in a phone call that Turkey needs to respect due process as it investigates those it believes were involved in the plot.

At least one senior Turkish official has directly blamed the US for the attempt to topple Erdogan. That prompted Kerry to tell Turkey's foreign minister that "public insinuations" about a US role are "utterly false" and harmful to US-Turkish relations.

Additional reporting by Umut Uras. Follow him @Um_Uras
Author : Al Jazeera