The Turkish Armed Forces will hire nearly 43,000 new personnel during 2018, a military source told Anadolu Agency.
The source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the new recruits will include 3,755 officers and 5,375 non-commissioned officers.
The forces will also hire 13,213 specialized sergeants and 20,595 contracted rank and file, the source added.
It said the Turkish National Defense Ministry continues to work to recruit qualified, educated, and nationally sensitive personnel.
The source said a total of 8,565 personnel -- including 150 generals, 4,630 officers, 2,167 non-commissioned officers, 1,210 specialized sergeants and contracted soldiers, and 411 civil servants and workers -- have been expelled for links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) following the July 2016 defeated coup.
To overcome the staff shortages after the expulsions, the ministry hired a total of 15,850 personnel -- including 1,763 officers, 4,135 non-commissioned officers, 3,698 specialized sergeants, 6,162 contracted rank and file, and 92 civil servants.
FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup, which left 250 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.
Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.
