Raids over corruption allegations in Turkey

Raids have taken place in offices in Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey, over fraud and bribery allegations in connection with public tenders for construction projects.

According to local media, 37 people have been questioned including the sons of three cabinet ministers, the chief executive of Turkish state bank Halkbank Suleyman Aslan, and real estate tycoon Ali Agaoglu.

Agaoglu is the founding chairman of Agaoglu Group, one of Turkey’s largest contractors. The company confirmed that Agaoglu had been called to give a statement, and that a court-ordered search had also been conducted at its corporate headquarters.

However, it said “no crime or criminal element” had been encountered during the search.

The Hürriyet newspaper reported that the raids were the result of a year-long surveillance operation. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has now launched a corruption investigation.