Turkey sacks 350 police officers amid corruption probe

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has sacked 350 police officers in the capital Ankara, following a corruption probe targeting people close to the government, reports say, according to BBC News.

Officials, mostly from outside the city, have been named to replace them.

Hundreds of police have been dismissed or reassigned across the country since last month's corruption investigation. Three cabinet ministers resigned after their sons were detained in the raids.

The prime minister has accused the police and judiciary of a "dirty plot".

The arrests were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders.

Those detained in the 17 December raids included public officials and businessmen close to the prime minister.

The latest round of police sackings and reassignments were carried out under a government decree published at midnight.

Those removed from their posts include chiefs of the financial crimes, anti-smuggling and organised crime units, the private Dogan News Agency reported.

The move comes as the government is trying to contain the fall-out from the corruption inquiry.

Many believe the arrests and firings reflect a feud within Turkey's ruling AK Party between those who back Erdogan, and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in self-imposed exile in the U.S.

Members of Gulen's Hizmet movement are said to hold influential positions in institutions such as the police, the judiciary and the AK Party itself.

Erdogan has said he would not allow "political plotting".