ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey's president has approved a controversial bill that limits the powers of the judiciary as the government grapples with new corruption allegations that have directly implicated Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The legislation, endorsed Wednesday, gives the Justice Ministry increased control over a council that oversees judges and prosecutors.
A scandal that forced Erdogan to dismiss four government ministers deepened this week with the emergence of alleged wiretapped audio recordings purported to be of Erdogan speaking with his son about ways to dispose of vast amounts of cash amid the graft probe. Erdogan says the recordings are fabricated.
Some 1,000 opposition party supporters protested in central Istanbul.
Earlier, parliament approved revisions to a controversial law which critics say aims to increase government controls over the Internet.
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