Head of Turkey's financial crime unit dismissed as part of purges

ANKARA

MASAK President Mürsel Ali Kaplan has become the latest high-ranking official to be replaced as part of the government-led reshuffle operation in key state institutions.

The head of Turkey’s Financial Crime Investigation Board (MASAK) has been dismissed from duty as part of the whirlwind of purges in the Finance Ministry.

MASAK President Mürsel Ali Kaplan has become the latest high-ranking official to be replaced as part of the government-led reshuffle operation in key state institutions.

The heads of two other prominent Finance Ministry units, Revenue Administration General Director Mehmet Kilci and Budget and Control General Director İlhan Hatipoğlu reportedly also removed from their offices.

The government has waged war with bureaucrats suspected of having ties with Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, who was accused of “establishing a parallel state” and being behind the Dec. 17, 2013 graft investigation that charged four ministers, their sons and dozens of pro-government businessmen and bureaucrats.

After the launch of the Dec. 17 investigation, it was claimed that MASAK had a report on the 2008-2010 operations of the key suspect of the graft probe, Iranian-Azeri businessman Reza Sarrab.

The Istanbul Court that lifted a freeze on Sarrab’s assets had cited “not being able to receive the research report from the MASAK,” as the reason of removing the cautionary judgment.