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Yesterday’s headline – High-profile figures among 84 detained in major corruption operation in Turkey.
(Hürriyet) – A corruption operation targeting the relatives of ministers, well-known businesspeople, a mayor and several civil servants has sent shock waves through Turkey, prompting opposition parties to call for the prime minister’s resignation.
At least 84 people, including the sons of three Cabinet members, businessmen, officials and a mayor were detained in three separate investigations, on accusations of accepting and facilitating bribes for state projects and receiving construction permits for protected areas in exchange for money.
Five police commissioners dismissed in Istanbul amid bribery probe into high-profile names
Five police commissioners in the Istanbul police department, including chiefs executing a corruption operation targeting high-profile figures, were discharged from their offices. Turkey’s Security General Directorate released a statement to clarify media reports about the dismissal of Istanbul police commissioners.
“The place of duty of certain officers has been changed because of investigations that were launched over claims of misconduct in office.”
The dismissed police department chiefs include Finance Branch Head Yakub Saygılı and Organized Crime Branch Head Nazmi Ardıç, who were conducting the operations, as well as Smuggling Branch Head Tuğrul Turhal, Anti-Terrorism Branch Head Ömer Köse and Public Security Branch Head Ertan Erçıktı, daily Hürriyet reported.
Interior Minister Muammer Güler’s son Barış Güler, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan’s son Salih Kaan Çağlayan and Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar’s son Abdullah Oğuz Bayraktar, as well as Azeri businessman Reza Zarrab, were among those detained Dec. 17 as part of the operation, made up of three separate investigations into corruption and bribery allegations.
Photos of alleged bribery money seized in house of Turkish minister’s son revealed
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I’m not a Turkey watcher and it’s too early for an analysis. Did find reactions on facebook page Occupy Turkey.
○ Today’s Zaman: Dismissing police officers in a graft probe is judicial scandal, analysts say
○ Enigmatic Turkish cleric poses challenge to Erdogan’s might
○ Four years later, evaluating Davutoglu’s declared policy of “zero problems with neighbors”
Erdogan’s Turkey has been falling apart as his government moved to limit secular rights of its citizens and failed regional foreign policy, see Taksim Square protests – Ally Morsi fall from power in Egypt – Failure of jihadists and islamists to overhrow neighbor Bashar al-Assad.
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○ Turkey again named world’s leading jailer of journalists
○ Sultan Erdogan of the Emirate of Turkey
Would this be like a rift between the DEM and GOP political thugs in NJ? With a DEM police dept. arresting Christie cronies for corruption and then Christie firing the police dept. for corruption? Oh, and that police department is controlled by a religious nutcase in exile.
I say we deport Gulen to see how long he and his faction survive when the spotlight is on them. That might also take down Erdogan which could also be a good thing.