A sprawling corruption investigation reaches deep into the government of Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. But who’s really to blame?
Umit Bektas / Reuters
ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkish prosecutors unveiled a sweeping anti-corruption campaign this week that reaches deep into the country's conservative government. More that 50 people have been detained so far, many of them tied to Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the powerful prime minister.
The investigations have drawn in business tycoons close to Erdogan, the sons of three of his ministers and the head of a state-run bank. They focus mainly on allegations of bribery, much of it tied to the kind of massive building projects redefining Turkey's cities. More explosive accusations and detentions may be on the way.
Alleged leaked evidence has meanwhile kicked the local press into a frenzy and flooded social media, including photos of millions of dollars in cash said to be kept in safes and shoeboxes inside suspects' homes. There are also transcripts of alleged phone calls — including one in which a businessman complains that a box of cash he delivered to a minister was so full it nearly burst.
After more than a decade in power, Erdogan's Justice and Development Party seems to be reeling. But it hasn't backed down, instead dismissing police chiefs in apparent retribution.
And as was the case during countrywide demonstrations against the government this summer, Erdogan and his allies have portrayed the crisis not as a domestic issue — but as a foreign-backed conspiracy. "There is a very dirty operation here," Erdogan said as the news swirled. He described the investigations as a "plot" to weaken the country, undertaken by "some circles inside and outside Turkey."
Erdogan didn't provide the details. But his supporters in the press and government have filled in the blanks. Below are some of the plot lines that have emerged in the wake of the corruption probe.
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