High-ranking banking watchdog officials expelled amid gov’t purge

ANKARA - Hürriyet

The political earthquake shaking the judiciary and police department in Turkey has extended to the country’s banking watchdog, with three high-ranking officials at the institution being expelled.

Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency’s (BDDK) Vice President Ozan Cangürel and two department heads have been removed from their duties as of Jan. 17, without any reason given from the authorities.
Cangürel and department heads Faik Atay and Mutlu Tosun have been dismissed following the release of some illegally recorded and leaked tapes claimed to belong to Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, a former ally of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government who has been at odds with it now, daily Hürriyet reported.

Hürriyet quoted some sources as saying the BDDK officials have been expelled as a result of an investigation opened after Gülen’s claimed records saying “We have men at BDDK.”

Fatih Öztürk has been temporarily appointed to the post of Cangürel, who had received the seat in February 2013.

The Turkish government has removed a series of high-profile prosecutors, police officers and public servants following a corruption operation launched on Dec. 17 into a number of politicians and businessmen close to the government, including four ministers and the sons of three of them. The government officials accuse Gülen’s followers of being behind the graft probe as a massive purge has been orchestrated within state institutions, a move dubbed as a “fight against the parallel state” by the government.