Prosecutors detain suspects accused of sexually harassing young interns at Turkish parliament

ISTANBUL (AP) — Five people have been detained in Turkey over a sex harassment scandal that has hit the country’s parliament, prosecutors in the capital Ankara said Friday.

Allegations that young female interns working in the kitchens and restaurant of the Grand National Assembly were subjected to sexual harassment were first reported by the BirGun newspaper on Thursday.

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that one suspect was jailed pending trial Thursday following a complaint by an alleged victim who worked in the parliament’s restaurant.

After three more complainants were interviewed, a further four suspects were arrested and are due to be brought before court, the prosecution statement added.

According to BirGun, such harassment had been ongoing for years and management failed to act. The alleged victims were reportedly vocational high school students.

Ozgur Ozel, leader of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, called for “transparent answers” following a protest outside parliament on Thursday.

A CHP lawmaker for Ankara, Semra Dincer, submitted a motion for a parliamentary investigation into the allegations. She said the inquiry should examine internal oversight and reporting mechanisms.