Three Ministers Resign, One Urges PM to Resign in Turkey

* From left to right: Interior Minister Muammer Güler, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan and Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar. 

3 cabinet ministers declared their resignations this morning while resigner Environment and Urbanization Minister Erdoğan Bayraktar urging PM Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to resign as well.

“PM Erdoğan knew everything [regarding the corruption allegations]. He must resign too,” he told NTV. 

“I don’t find anything insulting or inexplainable in the corruption case file after December 17 raids. While PM has the right to work with any minister that he assigns, he also has the right to replace any minister he likes. It is within his competencies. 

“However, I don’t accept pressures towards resignation or releasing a relieving statement concerning the corruption probe. 

“Because the majority of construction plans subjected to the investigation file are within the borders of legistlation and have been approved by PM. Upon this dismal, I am resigning from my minister and deputy posts. 

“Though I express my belief that PM must also resign in order to relieve the tensions of this nation and land.”

Prior to Bayraktar this morning, Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan and Interior Minister, two ministers whose sons have been arrested within corruption probe, also announced their resignations. 

Bayraktar’s son Oğuz Bayraktar, on the other hand, has been detained within corruption probe on December 17 but released for pending trial on December 21. 

Two minister son as well as 14 individuals including Halkbank General Manager Süleyman Aslan and businessman Rıza Sarraf were arrested on December 21. (BM)