Corruption probe targets Turkish markets: Deputy PM

ANKARA

'Unfortunately we see a political engineering attempt when we looked at its [graft probe’s] timing, method and content,' Babacan said. AA Photo

Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan has said the ongoing corruption probe aimed to disrupt Turkish markets, echoing the prime minister’s suggestions that foreign interests were involved in the crisis.

However, the minister in charge of the economy also argued that the impact of the political crisis on the economy would be temporary.

“Hopefully, everything will pull together quickly in a few days or few weeks, after the dust settles, when the judiciary acts like a real judiciary, the security forces really perform their duties, all of us work as part of the chain of command and in line with the separation of powers,” Babacan said addressing the Independent Industrialists’ and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) members yesterday.

“Unfortunately we see a political engineering attempt when we looked at its [graft probe’s] timing, method and content. Especially, when we look to the names in the second wave [of the probe] we see the real target was the markets and the whole nation, even though it looked as if it was the government that was aimed at,” he said during the business conference.

“We never cover up the corruption. Anybody that made mistake gives account in front of the judiciary, but on the other hand we should not permit the games to be played upon Turkey,” the minister added.

The Turkish economy, however, was strong enough to compensate for these challenges, he continued.

“There might be a perception about Turkey’s political risk and there might be a rise in Turkey’s political risk premium but when we look into their results, I want to underline that the picture is not as distressing as it seems,” he stressed.

The sons of former Interior Minister Muammer Güler and former Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, who handed over their portfolios Dec. 26, 2013, after resigning, were among the 24 people who have been formally arrested under the corruption investigation kicked off on Dec. 17, 2013.

The second graft probe, reported to be larger than the first one that has shaken the government, was made public with great controversy after the head prosecutor of the case announced the investigation files were “taken from his hands.”

Prominent businessmen and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son were reportedly among the 41 suspects who were issued arrest orders in the second corruption probe.