As soon as it became clear that the coup had failed, the purges began - first with the security forces, then spreading to Turkey's entire civilian infrastructure.
Turkey extended the clear-out to the education sector because it says it wants to root out supporters of US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who it accuses of organising the attempted putsch.
The Higher Education Council has asked university rectors to "urgently examine the situation of all academic and administrative personnel" linked to what it calls the Fethullah Terrorist Organisation (Feto) and report back by 5 August.
It has also told universities that academics who are already abroad on work or study missions should return home "within the shortest possible time".
A government official told the Reuters news agency that the ban on academics travelling abroad was a temporary measure implemented to stop alleged coup plotters in universities from fleeing abroad.