Turkey: Ministers’ sons Baris Guler and Kaan Caglayan freed

The sons of two former ministers in Turkey’s government have been freed amid major corruption investigation.

Baris Guler and Kaan Caglayan, arrested in December, were among dozens of people held in an investigation into bribery relating to public tenders.

The inquiry enraged PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who saw it as a “plot” against him.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded with a purge of top police and judicial officials.

Azeri businessman of Iranian origin Reza Zarrab was also released on Friday.

The son of a third cabinet minister was also arrested in December, but was soon released.

The three ministers – Environment Minister Erdogan Bayraktar, Economy Minister Zafer Caglayan and Interior Minister Muammer Guler – resigned in December as the police investigation intensified.

All three denied any wrongdoing.

Police are investigating allegations of illicit money transfers to Iran and bribery for construction projects.

Earlier this month Suleyman Aslan, the former chief executive of Halkbank, was also released.

Suleyman Aslan is suspected of money-laundering in connection with the alleged bribery. When they searched his home police found $4.5 million (3.2 million euros) in cash hidden in shoeboxes.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his supporters in the ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party see the investigation as a plot masterminded by Fethullah Gulen, an Islamist cleric based in the US.

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