The anti corruption, bribery and money laundering operation, launched on December 17, resulted in the detentions and arrests of high-profile bureaucrats, sons of three former cabinet ministers and businessmen including Reza Zarrab.

Muayyed Husayni Sadr, the president of the Turkey-Iran inter parliamentary friendship group, told an Anadolu Agency correspondent that Iranian-born Zarrab was a businessman who operated in Turkey.

Sadr rejected the existence of any links between Zarrab and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Zarrab is accused of establishing a circle of people who bribed officials to cover up alleged illegal gold sales to Iran via Turkey’s state-owned lender Halkbank.

The Turkish government claims it is targeted by a "parallel state" a 'state within the state' that has international links.

Prime Minister Erdogan and senior government officials have blamed the group for attempting to run an agenda of its own.