ANKARA
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has expressed his government's determination to prevent and hold accountable all those who take action against the national will through "conspiracies under cover of corruption claims."
His remarks followed last Sunday's police operation against senior media figures and police officers in 13 provinces across Turkey for allegedly being affiliated with what the government describes as the "parallel state," a purported group of bureaucrats embedded in the country's institutions, including the judiciary and the police.
Also addressing corruption claims, Davutoglu told a Sunday provincial congress of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in capital Ankara: "Whoever dares to reach for our national treasure for any reason, or our resources on the grounds of corruption, and makes ill-gotten gains in any way, we are determined to cut off their arm."
More than 20 suspects were taken into custody in the operation, all of whom were charged with forgery, fabricating evidence and forming an alleged crime syndicate to overtake the sovereignty of the state, and alleged to be linked with U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen and his so-called Hizmet movement.
Istanbul Penal Court ruled for the arrest of four among them including Hidayet Karaca, chairman of the Samanyolu Media Group after listening to their testimonies while releasing eight others, including Ekrem Dumanli, editor-in-chief of Zaman newspaper.
The Turkish government also blames the movement for orchestrating December 2013 anti-graft probe that targeted a number of high-profile figures, including the sons of three former government ministers, and leading Turkish businessmen, which it has denounced as a "dirty plot" constructed by the "parallel state."
Davutoglu maintained that what was behind December 17 and 25 corruption probes was -- rather than a mentality of fight against corruption -- an attempt to overthrow a government that came to power through the manifestation of the national will in elections.
He further argued that Turkey's opposition parties are in a struggle to design the politics together with the 'parallel state.'
"No matter what they will do, we will keep on walking on our way with self-confidence," he added.
The Turkish premier also said they will begin efforts for drafting a new constitution after Turkey's June 2015 parliamentary elections to enable "our politics, justice, judiciary and all other constitutional institutions to completely fit together."
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