Turkish police officers salute during a funeral ceremony for police officer Nedip Cengiz Eker in Marmaris, Turkey, July 16, 2016. REUTERS/Kenan Gurbuz

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey removed 8,000 police across the country, including in Istanbul and the capital Ankara due to alleged links with Friday’s failed coup attempt, a senior security official told Reuters on Monday.

The moves come days after a failed coup attempt the government blames on a “parallel state” led by self-exiled Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen.