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| Turkey PM Erdogan condemns 'dirty' corruption probe | Turkey PM Erdogan condemns 'dirty' corruption probe |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a corruption inquiry as a "dirty operation" against his government. | Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has denounced a corruption inquiry as a "dirty operation" against his government. |
| Some 52 people - including three sons of cabinet ministers - were arrested in dawn raids on Tuesday in connection with a high-profile bribery inquiry. | Some 52 people - including three sons of cabinet ministers - were arrested in dawn raids on Tuesday in connection with a high-profile bribery inquiry. |
| Five police chiefs who oversaw raids in Istanbul and Ankara were sacked for "abuse of office", Mr Erdogan said. | Five police chiefs who oversaw raids in Istanbul and Ankara were sacked for "abuse of office", Mr Erdogan said. |
| "We will not allow political plotting," the prime minister said. | "We will not allow political plotting," the prime minister said. |
| However, the deputy prime minister promised not to stand in the way of the judicial process. | However, the deputy prime minister promised not to stand in the way of the judicial process. |
| "We will always respect any decision made by the judiciary and will not engage in any effort to block this process," Bulent Arinc said. | "We will always respect any decision made by the judiciary and will not engage in any effort to block this process," Bulent Arinc said. |
| 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. |
| The feud is believed to involve supporters of Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in self-imposed exile in the US who once backed the ruling AK Party, helping it to victory in three elections since 2002. | |
| Members of Mr Gulen's Hizmet movement are said to hold influential positions in institutions such as the police, the judiciary and the AK Party itself. | |
| In recent months, the alliance began to come apart and in November the government discussed closing down private schools, including those run by Hizmet. | In recent months, the alliance began to come apart and in November the government discussed closing down private schools, including those run by Hizmet. |
| Mr Gulen has been living in the US since 1999, when he was accused in Turkey of plotting against the secular state. | Mr Gulen has been living in the US since 1999, when he was accused in Turkey of plotting against the secular state. |
| 'Abuse of powers' | 'Abuse of powers' |
| 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. |
| In a brief statement, the police said they had reassigned some staff, in some cases due to alleged misconduct and others "out of administrative necessity". | In a brief statement, the police said they had reassigned some staff, in some cases due to alleged misconduct and others "out of administrative necessity". |
| The mass arrests were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders. | The mass arrests 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. | 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 | The arrests were made as part of three separate investigations, according to Hurriyet |
| There was no response to the allegations by those arrested. | There was no response to the allegations by those arrested. |