Detained Police Chief: These Handcuffs A Medal Of Honor

Former İstanbul Police Department Intelligence Bureau Chief Ali Fuat Yılmazer, who was among dozens of police officers detained early on Tuesday during a large-scale police operation, said that the handcuffs on his hands were a medal of honor.

Dozens of police officers were detained on Tuesday as part of the government's attempt to contain an embarrassing graft scandal in which several ministers and dozens of pro-government ministers have been implicated.

Yılmazer, who was among the detainees, was being taken from the Haseki Education and Research Hospital where he underwent a medical examination on Wednesday.

Before entering the police vehicle, Yılmazer turned to the press members, raised his handcuffed hands and shouted, “Look at this medal of honor. This is today's medal of honor.”

The İstanbul Police Department's anti-terrorism unit launched simultaneous raids in 22 provinces of Turkey. Turkish media outlets reported that police raided at least 200 venues and suspects were taken to the hospital in Haseki for health screenings.

The operation came two days after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan talked about a plan to assign “super judges” to lead a looming operation against the faith-based Hizmet movement, inspired by the teachings of Turkish scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Erdoğan frequently blames the movement for orchestrating the graft operation as a means to topple the government -- a charge denied by Gülen. Erdoğan has not provided any evidence to prove his claim.

The prime minister didn't make it a secret that his government is planning a sweeping operation against movement members after months of "evidence-gathering," and observers believe that Tuesday's operation is a way for the government to cover up the recent corruption scandal.(Cihan/Today's Zaman)

SHOTLIST
TURKEY, ISTANBUL, 23 JULY 2014

Civic police vehicle comes to the hospital
Police officer lets detained police chief Yılmazer to get of the car
Yılmazer taken into the hospital for health check
Yılmazer shows handcuffs to the press members
VAR of Yılmazer's statements
Yılmazer gets on the car

DURATION: 01:05