Turkey’s main opposition worries about ‘political intervention’ in corruption case

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğl has expressed concerns over possible political intervention into a major tender fraud and bribery case. AA photo

Turkey’s main opposition has expressed concerns over possible political intervention into a major tender fraud and bribery case, slamming the dismissal of five Istanbul police commissioners as a cause for their concerns.

Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu criticized the government’s stance in response to the growing corruption investigation during a phone interview with the Hürriyet Daily News.

“Why did you [Cabinet ministers whose sons were detained in the case] cancel your scheduled daily programs if there was no reason to worry?” he said, claiming that underestimates about the scope of recent fraud claims were consolidating the perception that the corruption charges reflected the truth.

“The first thing they did the following morning [after the Dec. 17 detentions] was to discharge the police commissioners in the case,” he said, adding that he and his party were following the process with full attention.

Kılıçdaroğlu’s comments appeared to target Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan, whose son Salih Kaan Çağlayan was among the detainees, and who had earlier said, “This investigation will end up with nothing.”

“Our concerns grow bigger when police officers are discharged from their office,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.

“We call on the political government not to interfere in this investigation,” he said. “We don’t approach anyone with prejudice, but we ask that this investigation go the full distance,” Kılıçdaroğlu said.