Turkey has temporarily suspended more than 9,000 personnel from the country's police force while they are investigated for suspected links to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, the country's state-run news agency said.

Anadolu Agency said that police personnel were removed from duty on Wednesday, hours after Turkey launched nationwide operations, detaining more than a thousand people with alleged ties to Gulen's movement which Turkey blames for orchestrating a failed coup in July.

The operation was launched in all of Turkey's 81 provinces and targeted the network's structure in the police force.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu described the arrests as an "important step" towards the government's aim at "bringing down" the Gulen movement.

The operations were carried out as part of a probe led by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Anadolou Agency reported, adding that a nationwide hunt for more suspects continued.

PHOTO CAPTION

Turkish police officers. Reuters 

Al-Jazeera