Turkish President Recep Erdogan plans to accumulate more powers, according to a high ranking Turkish official, as he intends to take direct control of the country’s military and secret services (MIT). The National Security Council of Turkey decided, Thursday in a 5-hour meeting to maintain the three heads of the Turkish navy, army and air force in their positions, according to the Turkish President’s press office. A day earlier 1,700 military personnel, accused to have been involved in the failed coup attempt of July 15, were dismissed. The Turkish official said Erdogan would discuss before the Turkish Assembly the prospect of transferring the General Chiefs of Staff and the secret services (MIT) under his command, a move that would require a constitutional amendment. Both the military and the Turkish secret services reported to the Turkish Prime Minister, something Erdogan wants to change in his attempt to carve out a new, more President-oriented constitution. According to Turkish daily ‘Hurryiet’, Erdogan is arming the police with heavy weaponry. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Walter Steinmeier said the purges in Turkey against Erdogan’s political opponents have ‘crossed the line’. ‘We cannot keep silent when 10,000 public servants, teachers and judges are being dismissed’, he said. Turkey’s Justice Ministry repeated the demand by Turkey to the US for the extradition of muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is living in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania. Turkey fears the cleric, who has been accused of being behind the failed coup attempt, will try to escape to another country.