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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
- ○ Borsa Istanbul loses $12.7 billion after bribery probe
○ Gulenist-AKP Clash Is Now in the Open
○ The AKP’s accountability crisis