Turkish PM: Graft probe targets government

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday slapped the ongoing corruption probe as "an ill- intentioned move by local and foreign actors targeting the government," local Daily News reported. He called the operation a step taken against the Turkish government and claimed it has international and national dimensions. Erdogan also criticized Turkish jurists "for acting under control," in the corruption probe against over 50 suspects, including four cabinet members. The prime minister earlier slammed the graft probe as a "dirty operation" with international links to undermine Turkey's growing economy. On Friday, 24 suspects including two sons of Turkish ministers, were referred to court for trial, while 14 police chiefs at the National Police Department in Ankara were sacked by the government. Turkey was rocked Tuesday by the nation's largest ever bribery investigation in which sons of four cabinet members were detained and a huge amount of money were seized by authorities in their houses. Opposition parties have called for nationwide anti-corruption protests and demanded the dismissal of the ministers whose sons are involved in the bribery.