The Turkish government continues unabated before against unwanted corruption investigators. Now, the police chiefs of 16 provinces were relieved of their posts. Prime Minister Erdogan accuses them of having a “state within a state” is formed.

The police chiefs of 16 Turkish provinces lose their office. The government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has recalled, among other things, the prefect of big cities such as Ankara, Izmir, Antalya and Diyarbakir from their posts. Even the vice-chief of the national police was relieved on the night of Wednesday his office.

For weeks, the Turkish judiciary is investigating charges of corruption against confidant of the Government. Erdogan referred to the allegations as foreign conspiracy and accuses the investigators claim to have a “state within a state” formed. The police had not informed the government in advance of the corruption investigation, criticized the prime minister.

Concretely, several politicians have been bribed to cover up illegal oil and gold transactions with Iran as well as to obtain permits for construction projects, including allegedly for Erdogan’s son Bilal.

Corruption Scandal Turkey:Power struggle between Prime Minister Erdogan and Gulen preacher

Several people were arrested in the course of investigations in Turkey , including the head of the State Halkbank through which the business should have been handled with Iran. Also the sons of Interior Minister Muammer Güler and Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan were arrested. Both ministers then had to go as part of a larger reshuffle in December. This was also seen as an attempt Erdogan to end the affair .

It was not until Monday night , several hundred mostly high-ranking police officers had been transferred . In the capital Ankara alone affected 350 officials . In total, since the discovery of the corruption charges against the government on 17 December more than a thousand police officers were added.

Background of the affair is a power struggle between Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP ) and the movement of the living in the U.S. Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen . This has especially in the judiciary and police influence.

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