Some 700 police officers have been newly fired in Turkey in the aftermath of a corruption scandal targeting high ranking officials close to PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan's cabinet.

This makes the total number of police officers fired or moved to another position 5,000 since the outbreak of the scandal in December, report Turkish media.

The Hurriyet newspaper has shown a photograph displaying staff from a court in Istanbul carrying boxes with documents said to come from the officers of two prosecutors who were removed from their positions earlier this week.

In addition to police officers, some 200 judges and prosecutors have become victims of what some media are calling a "purge."

The cabinet's actions are motivated with Erdogan's claims that the probe is unfairly orchestrated by forces aiming to illicitly overthrow the government.

The scandal has reopened rifts in the Turkish political elite and have exerted negative effects upon the Turkish lira.

Friday another MP from Erdogans AKP left the party, making the total number of defections since December to 8.

As a result of the scandal, in December the Turkish PM replaced close to half of his cabinet.

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