Turkish scandal moves closer to Erdogan Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was fighting for his political survival on Thursday, as a court-led corruption investigation looked set to spread from government ministers to members of his own family. "It's clear that I am the real target," the prime minister told reporters on Thursday. He said prosecutors were planning a second wave of investigations, including one into an education foundation run by members of his family, and complained that the judicial investigation was a second "war for independence" designed to overthrow his government. The deepening crisis, including news that Mr Erdogan had replaced 10 cabinet ministers, alarmed markets and political commentators. The Turkish lira slumped to a record low against the dollar on Thursday. Turkish stocks and government bonds also fell. The situation was being closely watched in Washington. One US foreign policy expert said the unfolding crisis could become a "major problem" for the US if it escalated, given the role Turkey plays in support of US strategic interests in the Middle East. "Turkey is certainly a key ally," said Anthony Cordesman, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. [This] is one of the deepest political crises in recent Turkish history. In the last few days [it turned] from a routine corruption issue into a power struggle. Mr Erdogan decided to overhaul his cabinet after three ministers quit on Wednesday. One of them - urbanisation and environment minister Erdogan Bayraktar, who had been a longstanding ally of Mr Erdogan - did not go quietly, calling for the prime minister himself to resign. "To make the people more comfortable, the prime minister should also resign," Mr Bayraktar said. The replaced ministers also included EU minister Egemen Bagis, who was allegedly named in the corruption probe but had not resigned yet, and key positions such as the economy and justice portfolios. The probe, which began on 17 December, has involved police raids on businessmen and the sons of several cabinet ministers. Among them are economy minister Zafer Caglayan and interior minister Muammer Guler, both of whose sons are in prison awaiting trial on corruption charges. Mr Guler's son, Baris, was discovered with strong boxes in his home as well as a counting machine to keep track of large quantities of cash. Efkan Ala, the new minister for the interior, will now take over formal responsibility for the inquiry. Unusually, Mr Ala is not an MP but enters the cabinet as a senior civil servant. Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's party, accused Mr Ala of being there to do the prime minister's bidding as a member of the "deep state" - Turkish short hand for a shadowy unaccountable power. Mr Erdogan is also expected to be a candidate for president in a poll next year.