DHAKA: Two Turkish ministers stepped down Wednesday, the first heads to roll over a massive graft probe that has presented prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with the biggest challenge to his 11 years in power.

Economy minister Zafer Caglayan and interior minister Muammer Guler announced their resignations just hours after Erdogan returned from a trip abroad, expected to reshuffle his cabinet.

The sons of both ministers are among the two dozen people who have been charged as part of a high-level bribery and corruption probe that has ensnared close government allies and top businessmen.

Erdogan, who has led Turkey since 2002 as the head of a conservative Islamic-leaning government, has described the probe as ‘a smear campaign’ to undermine Turkey’s ambitions to become a major political and economic power, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 1603 HRS, DEC 24, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor