More unions call for robust graft investigation

Two leading Turkish business confederations, the Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON) and the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) each released a written statement on Monday calling on the government to ensure that there would be a transparent and comprehensive investigation into the alleged corruption and bribery by persons who have close links to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party). The two statements follow earlier calls from the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD) and the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (MÜSİAD) who, over the weekend, stressed that the government must stand firm in protecting the independence of the judiciary.

A government decree issued late on Friday requires police chiefs to notify their superiors of any investigation begun by prosecutors. Observers said the decision deals a major blow to judicial independence in Turkey, where the government is suspected of trying to cover up the alleged incidents of corruption. Two sons of Cabinet ministers and an Iranian-Azerbaijani businessman, Reza Zarrab, are among 24 suspects arrested as part of an investigation into bribery and fraud that has been making headlines since Tuesday.

In their statement on Monday, TUSKON said, “Bribery within the state is like cancer spreading inside the human body,” underlining the seriousness of the alleged crimes. The confederation said they are following the latest developments with concern and that it is of crucial importance that Turkey finalize this process with an unbiased investigation. “It is clear that any attempt by the government to cover up the alleged crimes will damage public confidence as well as investor confidence in markets,” the TUSKON statement read.

In his statement, TÜRKONFED Chairman Süleyman Onatça said on Monday that the government should protect the independence of the judiciary and preserve a transparent investigation process. Onatça said they feared that a possible failure to uncover the guilty parties will hurt Turkish democracy and at the same time shake the confidence of businesspeople. “There is no doubt that the markets will experience extended losses and companies will lose even more if the government fails to end these interventions that cast doubt on a healthy investigation,” the statement read.

A defiant Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan denounced "international groups" and "dark alliances" over the weekend for entangling Turkey in a corruption scandal. Erdoğan built his popularity on a commitment to clamp down on corruption in the NATO country.