Erdogan Makes Major Cabinet Reshuffle amid Corruption Scandal

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced he has changed 10 of his cabinet ministers in the wake of a high-profile corruption probe.

While some of the reshuffles were planned ahead, others are believed to have been occasioned by the investigation.

Among them is Turkey's Minister of EU Affairs Egemen Bagis.

Wednesday, it was announced that three ministers have resigned as a result of the probe.

Thursday the Milliet daily wrote that ex Minister of Environment Erdogan Baryaktar, who had called on Erdogan to step down himself, has been dismissed, and did not resign.

The Turkish PM has described the investigation as a smear campaign against his cabinet, and has insinuated he believes it to be conducted under outside influence.

According to Erdogan, the true goal behind the probe is the overthrow of his cabinet.

Starting in May, Turkey has been shaken by the vastest anti-cabinet protests for decades.

In what started as the Occupy Gezi movement, thousands walked out in the streets of major Turkish cities, clashing with riot police, to protest against what they see as an anti-secular and anti-democratic direction that the longtime PM is taking the country.

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