Turkish PM blames corruption charges on foreign plot

The Turkish government has struck back against critics including the judiciary, claiming a corruption probe that forced three ministers to resign was an attempt to destabilise the government.

Anti-corruption protesters filled the streets of five Turkish cities on Friday chanting “catch the thief” – a demand for Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to face corruption charges. Police fired tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon to clear the streets and made 70 arrests in Istanbul.

Speaking late on Friday, Mr Erdogan, Turkey‘s Prime Minister for 11 years, called the probe a “smear campaign”.

“Those who call it a corruption inquiry are corrupt themselves,” he said.

Counter protests in favour of Erdogan’s government greeted the PM as he returned from a trip to Pakistan.

Ministers’ sons arrested

Since the corruption probe was launched on 17December, some 24 members of Turkey’s elite have been arrested for bribery including the sons of two cabinet ministers and the head of state-owned bank Halkbank.

The head of Halkbank was found with $4.5m in cash stored in shoeboxes in his house. Large sums of cash were also found at the home of the Interior Minister’s son. A third minister’s son is being questioned for the inquiry. Reports from Turkey suggest that the prime minister’s own son, Bilal, is also on a list of people to be questioned.

Government has hit back at the corruption probe in other ways.

A reported 400 police officers have been forced out of their jobs for taking part in the probe and the prosecutor leading the probe was taken off the case on Friday. Prosecutor Muammer Akkas said the judiciary had been pressured by the government into pushing him out.

Criticism has come from within Mr Erdogan’s own party as well, with one minister forced to resign – Erdogan Bayraktar – saying that the Prime Minister should go too.