Turkey corruption scandal: Army does not want to be involved in political debates

Turkish army has released a statement saying that it does not want to get involved in “political arguments”, amid a major political corruption scandal.

The crisis has forced PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reshuffle his cabinet following the resignations of three ministers.

The ministers’ sons were among dozens of people detained as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe.

The scandal has caused Turkey’s lira to fall to a new low against the dollar.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s top administrative court has blocked a government decree ordering police to inform their superiors before launching investigations.

The government introduced the decree last week after a series of police raids on senior figures as part of the corruption inquiry.

The Council of State’s ruling on Friday, blocking the regulation, is seen as the latest setback in Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to stop the political fallout from the scandal.

The Turkish army’s statement, posted on its website, comes in response to a suggestion in the media by an ally of the prime minister that the corruption scandal might be a plot to trigger a military coup.

“The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) does not want to be involved in political debates. On the other hand, the TSK will keep on closely following the developments regarding its corporate identity and the legal positions of its members,” the statement said.

Turkey has a history of military takeovers but its power has been curbed during Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decade in power.