Authorities shut 626 educational institutions -Turkish official

Turkey's education ministry has shut down 626 institutions as part of a crackdown on supporters of a U.S.-based Muslim cleric accused by the government of masterminding a failed military coup, a ministry official said on Wednesday.

A majority of the institutions are private educational establishments, the official added.

The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, set up a large network of schools in Turkey and abroad over decades which have been used to fund his movement and promote his religious teachings.

The announcement is the latest in a flurry of moves by the Turkish authorities targeting suspected Gulen supporters in state institutions following the July 15 abortive coup, in which at least 230 people were killed.