Turkey's top judicial body suspends graft probe prosecutors
Turkey's top judicial body has suspended four prosecutors who initiated a corruption investigation that targeted the inner circle of President Tayyip Erdogan, Dogan news agency reported on Tuesday.
The probe led to the resignation of three ministers and prompted Erdogan to purge the state apparatus, reassigning thousands of police and hundreds of judges and prosecutors.
In July, the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK) launched an investigation into the work of the four prosecutors facing accusations including making political comments on Twitter and detaining suspects without concrete information.
They will remain suspended until the investigation is completed, Dogan said on Tuesday.
"This is not a legal decision, it's a political decision. The reason for this decision is that we stood by the law in the face of politicians. The HSYK didn't even ask to hear my defence. There has been no such example in the history of the board," Oz tweeted.
"The decision is a clear blow to the judiciary's independence, a rehearsal for the transition to a political judiciary. I will appeal the decision," Oz said.
