Turkish PM Erdoğan labels graft probe an ‘assassination attempt’

ANKARA

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has slammed once agains the current graft probe with the strongest words, describing it as an 'assassination attempt' during the broadcast of his monthly address to the nation on Dec. 31. AA photo

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has described the ongoing graft probe as an "assassination attempt hidden in a package of corruption,” during a message to the people broadcast on television on Dec. 31.

“The Dec. 17 plot is an assassination attempt hidden inside the package of corruption. The Dec. 17 plot is targeting the people’s government. It also targeted the national will, the ballot box and democracy,” said Erdoğan in his monthly message titled “on the way to serve people” referring to a graft probe started on Dec. 17. 

Twenty-four people have been arrested as part of the corruption investigation that emerged in Turkey last month, including the sons of former Interior Minister Muammer Güler and former Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan.

“An organization settled in the state institutions, particularly judiciary and police, has been attempting an assassination attack on Turkey’s stability and security atmosphere with the instructions it is taking from the outside,” said Erdoğan, in reference to the ongoing graft probe being a plot of an organization against the government. 

“Some circles organized inside the judiciary are working to take the sovereignty from the people and give it to the judiciary and acted irresponsibly and militantly as if they were doing a judiciary coup,” said Erdoğan.

Erdoğan said that his government was exposed to two attacks last year, the first being the Gezi Park protests that rocked the country during May and June and the second being the graft probe.