ANKARA (REUTERS) - Turkish authorities have so far released 33,838 prisoners, the justice minister said on Friday (Sept 2), after Turkey said it was releasing 38,000 inmates from prisons to make space for tens of thousands detained over suspected links to a July coup attempt.

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag made the comments in a news conference. Turkey has said it would release a total of 38,000 prisoners as part of its penal reforms in the wake of the July coup that tried to topple President Tayyip Erdogan's government.

Turkey has dismissed about 80,000 people from public posts, and many have also been detained in the post-coup round-up.