Ruling AKP spokesperson says government will 'bring out the truth' of fraud operations

ANKARA

CİHAN photo

Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) spokesperson Hüseyin Çelik called for attention to be paid attention to the presumption of innocence of those taken into custody, following police operations into tender fraud and bribery allegations in Istanbul and Ankara on Dec. 17.

“Our government has displayed maximum sensitivity over corruption and fraud since it came to the power. We will continue to do so without a doubt. In a state of law, everybody is equal before the law. As the AK Party, we are calling for everything to be done to reveal the truth,” Çelik said in a written statement.

Some 49 people, including the sons of three Cabinet members, Interior Minister Muammer Güler, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan and Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar, have been detained as a part of the probe.

Other detainees include Turkish construction tycoon Ali Ağaoğlu, Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan, Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab, Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir and civil servants from the Environment Ministry and the Economy Ministry, according to Hürriyet.