Egemen Ba

The fifth penal chamber of Turkey's Supreme Court of Appeals ruled on March 23 for an arrest warrant for a public prosecutor who conducted the major Dec. 17, 2013, graft probe and was later dismissed from the profession.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on March 21 that Iranian origin Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab had been arrested on charges of "engaging in hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of transactions on behalf of the government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by U.S.

Former Turkish President Abdullah Gül's father-in-law, who died on Feb. 11, was laid to rest in Istanbul on Feb. 12 at a funeral attended by top state officials. 

Ahmet Özyurt, 76, died of heart failure in an Istanbul hospital on Feb. 11.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has become involved as a plaintiff in a case filed against a woman who allegedly ?insulted the Quran? by posting a photo on Twitter showing her foot standing on the Muslim holy book.

The defendant faces up to four years in prison. 

A much-awaited new book by Ahmet Sever, the 12-year ally of former president Abdullah Gül, leaves no doubt that tension between Gül and current President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an rose on several occasions, peaking after the corruption allegations arose against the latter?s former ministers in December 2013. 

The names of four former cabinet ministers who were accused in Turkey?s largest ever corruption probe are not on the April 7 candidate list of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Muammer Güler, one of the four former ministers who resigned after Turkey?s huge corruption probe broke on Dec. 17, 2013, has announced in a written statement that he will not run for parliament in the June 7 general elections.

Zafer Ça?layan, a ruling party deputy who was among the four ministers accused in Turkey?s largest ever corruption probe, has announced that he will not run for parliament in the June 7 general elections.

On Jan. 20, parliament voted on whether to send four former ministers to the Supreme Council to be put on trial on charges of corruption and graft. Three opposition parties, along with around 40 ruling party lawmakers, voted in favor of sending them to the court, but they failed to provide the necessary 276 votes.

With the vote in parliament late Jan. 20, the majority of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmakers put the final nail in the coffin of yet another coup attempt targeting the ruling party, and hence the national will.