Turkish Parliamentary Speaker Cemil Çiçek says he launched a probe into Turkey’s ombudsman Nihat Ömeroğlu over reports that he threatened former Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Zekeriya Öz on behalf of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the ongoing corruption probe, Hürriyet Daily News reports on Friday.
“After reading such reports, I’ve started an investigation as the ombudsman is working subordinate to Parliament. The ombudsman demanded to be investigated as well. We are now looking at who will carry this investigation out and how it will be conducted, as this is a very new case for us,” Çiçek is quoted as saying.
One of Turkey’s most controversial prosecutors, Öz was recently reassigned to a passive position after he coordinated a massive corruption probe that has engulfed Turkish Prime Minister Erdoğan and members of his government. Earlier this week, he said Erdoğan assigned Ömeroğlu and İsmail Rüştü Cirit, a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals, to meet him and threaten him to stop the operation. Ömeroğlu and Cirit confirmed they met Öz in Bursa on the eve of the new year but that they were not assigned by anybody and did not convey such messages to the prosecutor. The prime minister’s Office also denied Öz’s claims, the news agency informs.
