A demonstrator holds pictures of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen (R), during a protest against Turkey's ruling AK Party (AKP), demanding the resignation of Erdogan, in Istanbul. – Reuters ANKARA – Another lawmaker from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) announced his resignation on Tuesday amid a high-level bribery and corruption probe, local media reported. Hasan Hami Yildirim had criticised the government for exerting pressure on the judiciary over the corruption investigation that has rattled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's grip on power. A string of public figures including high-profile businessmen and the sons of three ministers were detained on December 17 over allegations of bribery for construction projects as well as illicit money transfers to neighbouring Iran. Five MPs including a former culture minister have resigned from the AKP since the raids, which the government has suggested were instigated by supporters of an influential US-based Turkish cleric. The scandal has thrown up a major challenge to Erdogan after 11 years in power and led to a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle after the resignation last week of three ministers whose sons were implicated in the probe. Tensions have been mounting ahead of elections between the AKP and a former ally, influential Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whose supporters hold key positions in the police and the judiciary. The latest resignation has dropped the number of AKP seats in parliament to 320 out of 550. Meanwhile, a popular game show that was punished for its subtle support of last summer's anti-government protests appears once again to have become the victim of Turkish media censorship as Erdogan's government scrambles to contain a corruption scandal. In an episode of “Kelime Oyunu” (“Word Game”) that aired shortly after the scandal broke in mid-December, a contestant was asked to guess a six-letter slang word for someone who takes bribes — an apparent reference to the scandal which led to the arrests of two government ministers' sons on bribery charges. The contestant blanked as the buzzer sounded. The word “yiyici” — slang for grafter — then flashed on the screen. The program was taken off the air, a move which critics saw as the latest example of government media suppression. “Word Game” had been canceled in June, when its host Ali Ihsan Varol devoted an episode to the summer's anti-government protests, showing solidarity with demonstrators through questions whose answers included: “tear gas,” ‘'dictator,” and “censorship.” The show was eventually picked up by another channel, Show TV. Show TV confirmed Monday that the show was taken off the air but had no further comment. The show's host — Varol — did not immediately respond to a request from The Associated Press for comment. An aide to Erdogan, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of government rules that bar civil servants from speaking on the record without authorization, denied that the government was behind the show's cancellation. — Agencies
