Turkish mayor suspended over corruption charges

Interior Minister Atalay has suspended Aytac Durak, mayor of Adana province in southern Turkey, "for the sake of the investigation".

Aytac Durak, who was a member of the opposition Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) resigned from his party after party leader Devlet Bahceli asked him to quit.

Durak denied charges made by one of his aides that he made a $2 billion fortune, saying his wealth was around $40 million and that the main source of his assets came from her wife's family.

Inspectors of the Interior Ministry are carrying out an investigation into charges.

Durak was elected mayor five times during his political career with different parties, with Motherland Party (former ANAP) in 1984, then with Justice & Development (AK) Party in 2004 and finally he switched to MHP in March 2009.


/World Bulletin/