Turkey widened its massive post-coup purge to schools and the media on Tuesday, vowing to root out supporters of an exiled Islamic cleric it accuses of orchestrating the attempted power grab.

Global alarm is mounting over the retaliatory action since Fridays failed putsch, which has already seen a massive crackdown in the military, police and judiciary and thousands detained including top generals.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey had sent dossiers to the United States to demand for the extradition of reclusive preacher Fethullah Gulen, who has emerged as President Recep Tayyip Erdogans greatest foe.

Tuesdays action largely targeted supporters of Gulen, who lives in Pennsylvania but retains vast interests in Turkey ranging from media to finance to schools and wields influence in various apparatus including the judiciary and police.

The government suspended 15,200 state education employees allegedly linked to the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation -- its name for Gulens network -- and demanded the resignation of almost 1,600 deans from private and state universities.

The authorities also cancelled licences for radio and television stations said to be linked to the so-called Gulenists.

The state-run Anadolu news agency said 24 media outlets were hit, while 34 journalists were stripped of their press cards.