Turkey's deputy police chief sacked
- 10 years ago
A major shakeup of power is rocking Turkey's police force.
The deputy police chief was sacked from his job, making him the most senior officer to be removed in a recent purge of the country's police force.
Hundreds of officers have been removed so far accused by the Turkish government of corruption and plotting to shake up the administration.
A government spokesman says the changes are routine.
SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) TURKISH GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, HUSEYIN CELIK, SAYING:
"I am giving you the information that has been passed on to me by the interior minister. If you bring a local chief to a region, he brings, he establishes his own team. It is not a swap between cities. It is the change over of policemen between departments. And according to the interior minister, this is a routine event which has been conducted each year."
But the European Commission is concerned over the massive purge, calling on the government to be transparent and fair.
SOUND
The deputy police chief was sacked from his job, making him the most senior officer to be removed in a recent purge of the country's police force.
Hundreds of officers have been removed so far accused by the Turkish government of corruption and plotting to shake up the administration.
A government spokesman says the changes are routine.
SOUNDBITE: (Turkish) TURKISH GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON, HUSEYIN CELIK, SAYING:
"I am giving you the information that has been passed on to me by the interior minister. If you bring a local chief to a region, he brings, he establishes his own team. It is not a swap between cities. It is the change over of policemen between departments. And according to the interior minister, this is a routine event which has been conducted each year."
But the European Commission is concerned over the massive purge, calling on the government to be transparent and fair.
SOUND