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Turkey detains eight in corruption investigation

340981_Turkey-Arrest

Turkey’s media say police have detained eight people for interrogation, as part of a graft investigation targeting Turkish government officials close to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency news agency reported on Friday that the brother of the mayor of an Istanbul district was also among the eight detainees. The arrested suspects may face possible bribery charges.

According to the report, 27 other people were also being interrogated by court officials in Turkey.

On Thursday, Istanbul’s police chief, Huseyin Capkin, was sacked after dozens of people including the sons of Turkish cabinet ministers and prominent businessmen, who are Erdogan’s allies, were arrested for inquiry over the alleged corruption.

The sons of Interior Minister Muammer Guler, Economy Minister Yafer Caglayan and Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar were among those detained by the police.

The suspects also include well-known businessmen and bureaucrats.

The Turkish premier has dubbed the inquiry a “dirty operation,” saying those behind the probe were seeking to form a “state within a state.”

The operation is being widely interpreted as a challenge to the authority of Erdogan, who boasts of being pro-business and has pledged to root out corruption.

Turkish political observers also speculate that the police raids could have been driven by simmering tensions between the Erdogan government and influential US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen ahead of elections next year.

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