OPINION: Turkey is cleaning her bowels

Turkey’s big sweep: clean-up operation or pre-election purge?

A wave of high-profile arrests and corruption probes has swept through Turkey in recent days, targeting business figures, alleged organised-crime leaders and, according to some reports, people with links to state institutions. Officials present the actions as a long-overdue crackdown on organised crime and money-laundering; critics say the timing and the targets point to political motives and a possible pre-election “house-cleaning.” The debate has intensified after investigative reporting and confessions of economic strain from government ministers.

Watching the torrent of headlines and TV bulletins this week, many Turks have reacted with a mix of shock and skepticism. Senior businesspeople and well-known names — until recently photographed beside ministers and flaunting social status — are being detained or investigated. Luxury villas in Sarıyer and tables at expensive Bosphorus venues have given way to handcuffs and court steps.

Government spokesmen describe the operations as a long-overdue “intestinal cleaning” of criminal networks that have embedded themselves in economic life: drug trafficking, illegal betting, counterfeit alcohol and tobacco, money-laundering and protection rackets. According to official briefings and investigative police work cited in the justice system’s releases, dozens of organised-crime cells and hundreds of suspects have been arrested in recent months.

But the speed and scale of the campaign have prompted harder questions. Who allowed these networks to grow so visible? Why did they flourish in plain sight, critics ask, if not with at least tacit toleration? And why does the crackdown now — amid political jockeying and ahead of a crunch domestic calendar — look like it might also settle scores?

Media investigations have fuelled the controversy. Veteran reporter İsmail Saymaz published a story on alleged irregularities at the Interbank Card Centre — an entity in which the central bank is a major shareholder — claiming a large fraud and naming a former central-bank official as a central figure. The reporting prompted public outrage and a police inquiry; the named individual has denied wrongdoing and the story is subject to ongoing investigation.

At the same time, major corporate probes continue. A high-profile raid in connection with CAN Holding led to renewed detention orders after a previous decision to release a suspect under house arrest. Another probe — according to some media accounts — involved figures who have previously been linked in public allegations to senior intelligence and foreign-policy figures. Local commentators note that the overlap between business, security and politics in these cases makes the judicial proceedings politically sensitive.

Political dimension and succession rumours

Beyond law enforcement, the operations have taken on a strongly political colouring. The recent detention of several people whose business or social ties reportedly intersect with top state figures has fuelled speculation about intra-elite rivalries and succession planning. Some observers point to the timing: high-profile detentions followed closely on the heels of President Erdoğan’s White House visit and other diplomatic developments. Others suggest the actions are part of a broader effort to shore up support ahead of future votes by removing potential rivals or reshuffling networks of influence.

Crackdown or Capital Grab? Turkey’s State Fund Now Controls 1,000 Companies

Critics also point to moves against opposition figures and local governments. Legal and administrative measures targeting mayors and municipal officials from the main opposition party, the CHP, have alarmed civil-society groups and opposition politicians, who characterise certain prosecutions as politically selective. Human-rights and rule-of-law advocates warn that an anti-crime campaign should not become a mechanism for sidelining political opponents.

Economic backdrop adds urgency
The sweep comes at a time of economic unease. Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek recently acknowledged in public statements that the economic programme has not proceeded exactly as planned and warned that inflation could come in above official expectations this year. That admission, combined with reports of alleged large financial frauds and corruption cases, has amplified public anxiety over governance and economic management.

Where next?
There are three broad interpretations of recent events in play across Turkish public discourse:

• Rule-of-law explanation: Authorities are finally tackling entrenched organised crime and high-level corruption that have long undermined governance and public safety. The arrests are overdue and must be allowed to proceed transparently through the courts.

• Political explanation: The operations are being used selectively to weaken rivals — both business and political — and to reshape the balance of power ahead of a post-Erdoğan transition. The targeting of some figures with apparent proximity to state institutions feeds this suspicion.

• Mixed reality: Elements of both are true: real criminal networks have been dismantled, but the choice of targets and the publicity around arrests also serve political objectives.

What is clear is that the current wave of probes and detentions has deepened public debate about corruption, the independence of the judiciary and the politicisation of law enforcement. For many Turks, the unanswered question remains: will these investigations lead to lasting institutional reform — greater transparency, independent prosecutions and less impunity — or will they simply rearrange power in ways that leave the underlying problems intact?

Source:  HalkTV.com.tr

PA Turkey intends to inform Turkey watchers with diverse views and opinions. Articles on our website may not necessarily represent the view of our editorial board or count as endorsement.

Follow our English language YouTube videos @ REAL TURKEY:
🔗 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKpFJB4GFiNkhmpVZQ_d9Rg
And content at Twitter: @AtillaEng
Facebook: Real Turkey Channel
🔗 https://www.facebook.com/realturkeychannel/