This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25428565
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Police chiefs 'sacked' in Turkey amid fears of feud | Police chiefs 'sacked' in Turkey amid fears of feud |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Turkish police chiefs who oversaw a wave of high-profile arrests for bribery have been sacked from their posts in Istanbul, Turkish media say. | Turkish police chiefs who oversaw a wave of high-profile arrests for bribery have been sacked from their posts in Istanbul, Turkish media say. |
| Five police chiefs are said to have been fired in Istanbul a day after at least 52 people were picked up, including sons of cabinet ministers. | Five police chiefs are said to have been fired in Istanbul a day after at least 52 people were picked up, including sons of cabinet ministers. |
| Tuesday's arrests in dawn raids shocked the political establishment. | Tuesday's arrests in dawn raids shocked the political establishment. |
| They are being portrayed by some as an attack on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a feud with a former ally. | They are being portrayed by some as an attack on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a feud with a former ally. |
| Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in exile in the US, once backed the ruling AK Party, helping it to victory in three elections since 2002. | Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in exile in the US, once backed the ruling AK Party, helping it to victory in three elections since 2002. |
| His followers are said to hold influential positions in institutions from the police and secret services to the judiciary and the AK Party itself. | His followers are said to hold influential positions in institutions from the police and secret services to the judiciary and the AK Party itself. |
| Commentators in Turkey believe the arrests - and subsequent firings - are evidence of a new dramatic fault line in Turkish politics, one within the AK Party itself, the BBC's James Reynolds reports. | Commentators in Turkey believe the arrests - and subsequent firings - are evidence of a new dramatic fault line in Turkish politics, one within the AK Party itself, the BBC's James Reynolds reports. |
| In recent months, the alliance began to come apart and in November the government discussed closing down private schools, including those run by Mr Gulen's movement, Hizmet. | In recent months, the alliance began to come apart and in November the government discussed closing down private schools, including those run by Mr Gulen's movement, Hizmet. |
| In a speech after Tuesday's wave of arrests, Mr Erdogan vowed not to bow to any "threat" or "dirty alliances" aimed at creating division within the ruling party. | In a speech after Tuesday's wave of arrests, Mr Erdogan vowed not to bow to any "threat" or "dirty alliances" aimed at creating division within the ruling party. |
| "Turkey is not a banana republic or a third-class tribal state," he said, speaking in the city of Konya, an AK stronghold. "Nobody inside or outside my country can stir up or trap my country." | "Turkey is not a banana republic or a third-class tribal state," he said, speaking in the city of Konya, an AK stronghold. "Nobody inside or outside my country can stir up or trap my country." |
| Police silence | Police silence |
| The five police commissioners sacked include the heads of the financial crime and organised crime units, who were both involved in the earlier arrests, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports. | The five police commissioners sacked include the heads of the financial crime and organised crime units, who were both involved in the earlier arrests, the Turkish daily Hurriyet reports. |
| Also dismissed were the heads of the smuggling unit, the anti-terrorism branch and the public security branch, the paper says. | Also dismissed were the heads of the smuggling unit, the anti-terrorism branch and the public security branch, the paper says. |
| No immediate reason was given for their dismissals and, approached by Reuters news agency, police would not comment. | No immediate reason was given for their dismissals and, approached by Reuters news agency, police would not comment. |
| The mass arrests - according to Hurriyet, as many as 84 people were detained - were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders. | The mass arrests - according to Hurriyet, as many as 84 people were detained - were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders. |
| The sons of Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar were among those detained. | The sons of Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar were among those detained. |
| Police also raided the Ankara headquarters of one of Turkey's biggest banks, state-run lender Halkbank, and the headquarters of a large construction company owned by tycoon Ali Agaoglu. | Police also raided the Ankara headquarters of one of Turkey's biggest banks, state-run lender Halkbank, and the headquarters of a large construction company owned by tycoon Ali Agaoglu. |
| Police searching the home of detained Halkbank general manager Suleyman Aslan have found $4.5m (£2.7m; 3.2m euros) in cash hidden in shoe boxes in his library, Turkey's Dogan news agency reports. | |
| The arrests were made as part of three separate investigations, according to Hurriyet | |
| There was no response to the allegations by those arrested. | |
| Fethullah Gulen has been living in the US since 1999, when he was accused in Turkey of plotting against the secular state. | Fethullah Gulen has been living in the US since 1999, when he was accused in Turkey of plotting against the secular state. |