Turkey: Justice minister rules out dismissal of prosecutors in graft probe

Justice minister rules out dismissal of prosecutors in graft probe

Turkish Justice Minister Sadullah Ergin, who halted his program in the southern province of Hatay and returned to Ankara after İstanbul police detained at least 52 people, including businessmen and sons of ministers, as part of a major graft probe on Tuesday, has ruled out dismissal of prosecutors who oversee the investigation.

He also denied media reports that he had held a meeting with the Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), a top judicial body which has the authority to remove prosecutors from cases if it sees necessary.

Earlier reports in the Turkish media suggested that the justice minister attended an extraordinary meeting with members of the HSYK, a move that led to questions over a possible government response to a major corruption investigation probe that was launched by İstanbul prosecutors.

The minister denied the existence of such a meeting while acknowledging that he did in fact directly go to the office of the HSYK to work on some files instead of his personal office at the Ministry of Justice, the Bugün daily’s Ankara representative Adem Yavuz Arslan said late on Tuesday.

İbrahim Okur, an HSYK member, also denied the allegations of any meeting. Okur also said the top judicial body has no authority to remove prosecutors from the graft probe despite commentary in the media indicating that the Justice and Development Party (AK Party) may take action through the HSYK against the İstanbul prosecutors who launched the massive investigation into alleged bribery linked to public tenders in İstanbul on Tuesday.

Justice Minister said there is no plan to remove prosecutors at this stage of the investigation.

Police detained at least 52 people, including bureaucrats, well-known businessmen and the sons of three ministers as part of the corruption probe.

18.12.2013
MEDIA – TODAYS ZAMAN