ISTANBUL, July 20 — Turkey's decision to ban academics from travelling abroad is a temporary measure prompted by the flight risk of alleged coup plotters in universities, a government official said today.

The official added that certain individuals at universities were believed to be in contact with cells within the military, without giving further details.

Turkey's High Board of Education has banned all academics from travelling abroad, state-run broadcaster TRT reported earlier, after a failed military coup over the weekend which has triggered a wide-ranging purge of state institutions.

TRT also reported that Istanbul University had removed 95 academics from their posts. — Reuters