The investigation has put pressure on Turkey’s prime minister

Source: BBC

Turkey’s military has said it does not want to get involved in “political arguments”, amid a major political corruption scandal.

The crisis has forced Prime Minister 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.

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 Mr Erdogan’s decade in power.

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

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