Hundreds of Turkish police officers dismissed

The Ankara police shake-up is the largest so far

The Ankara police shake-up is the largest so far
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Turkey has removed 350 police officers from their posts in Ankara, following a corruption probe targeting people close to the government, reports say.

Officials, mostly from outside the capital, are to replace them.

Hundreds of police have been dismissed or reassigned across the country since last month's corruption investigation. Three cabinet ministers resigned after their sons were detained in the raids.

The prime minister has accused the police and judiciary of a "dirty plot".

The arrests were carried out as part of an inquiry into alleged bribery involving public tenders, which included controversial building projects in Istanbul.

Those detained in the 17 December raids included more than 50 public officials and businessmen - all allies of the prime minister.

'Political plotting'
The latest round of police dismissals and reassignments were carried out under a government decree published at midnight.

Those removed from their posts include chiefs of the financial crimes, anti-smuggling and organised crime units, the private Dogan News Agency reported.

The move comes as the government is trying to contain the political fall-out from the corruption inquiry.

Many believe the arrests and dismissals reflect a feud within Turkey's ruling AK Party between those who back Mr Erdogan, and supporters of Fethullah Gulen, an influential Islamic scholar living in self-imposed exile in the US.

Members of Mr Gulen's Hizmet movement are said to hold influential positions in institutions such as the police, the judiciary and the AK Party itself.

The scandal has prompted anti-government protests in Turkey's main cities in recent weeks but Mr Erdogan has pledged to fight on in what is seen as the biggest challenge to his government in his 11 years in office.

He called the investigation a "smear campaign" and urged thousands of supporters to vote for his party in local elections next month.

Turkey's lira has fallen to a new low against the dollar.

The European Union - which Turkey hopes to join - has urged Ankara to address the corruption allegations in an "impartial manner".