Turkey's Binali Yildirim withdraws about 1,500 insult lawsuits

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said he has withdrawn lawsuits against about 1,500 people, including opposition politicians, journalists and writers, for insulting him or his office.

Speaking in a live interview with CNN Turk, Yildirim on Tuesday said he withdrew the lawsuits on Monday. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also said he will drop insult lawsuits against him, as a gesture toward the opposition as they seek to forge better relations in the wake of a failed July 15 coup.

Yildirim announced the withdrawal of the lawsuits after saying he was determined to continue working more closely with the opposition. The ruling party's policies have often been seen as polarising.

"There are so many issues we can solve through dialogue," Yildirim said. "This country belongs to all of us." 

In an earlier report, Yildirim said Turkey has taken over factories and shipyards that had been under control of the military general staff as part of a wide-ranging shake-up of the armed forces following the coup.