"Islamist Turkey's Democracy" 400 more police officers in İstanbul removed from duty.

"Islamist Turkey's Democracy" 400 more police officers in İstanbul removed from duty.(TZ).

Four hundred police officers at the İstanbul Police Department have been removed from duty and are being transferred in the midst of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and bribery, sources say.

The removed police officers took part in the corruption investigation, which involves four ministers, Today's Zaman learned form sources speaking under condition of anonymity.

The officers, who worked at different departments at the İstanbul Police Department, are currently being informed of their new posts.

In an earlier purge, the government removed 15 police chiefs at the Antalya Police Department on Monday. The police chiefs were then appointed to different posts.Two police chiefs at the Ankara Police Department were transferred from their posts for the second time in five days.

With the latest transfers at the İstanbul Police Department, the number of police officers who have been removed from their posts across Turkey now exceeds 500.

Since the investigation became public last Tuesday with the detention of some bureaucrats and businessmen as well as the sons of three ministers, dozens of police officers and police chiefs have been removed from their posts in a move that has been interpreted as a government attempt to intervene in the graft investigation.