Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday rejected allegations that his son was involved in the vast corruption scandal that has targeted some of his closest allies.

"Recently, there have been smear campaigns by the main opposition against my children," the embattled premier said.

Turkish authorities removed several prosecutors from key posts on Thursday in the latest fallout from the high-level corruption scandal plaguing the government.

The Supreme Board of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), which is headed by Turkey's justice minister, said that 20 prosecutors were being reassigned including the chief Istanbul prosecutor Turhan Colakkadi.

Turkey's main opposition party on Thursday rejected new government proposals aimed at ending a standoff over its bid to tighten controls on the judiciary.

The Republican People's Party (CHP) dismissed a new proposal by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) as "insincere" as it had yet to withdraw a contentious bill on the issue.

Turkey's embattled Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared open war Wednesday on what he labeled an "empire of fear" created by an Islamic rival at the heart of a deepening political crisis.

Erdogan accused loyalists of influential Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen of outright treachery over what he says is a coup plot launched in the guise of a corruption probe that has ensnared several key allies.

Turkey's government was pursuing efforts Wednesday to defuse a row over plans to exert more control over the judiciary, a move that has stoked concerns about the independence of the country's institutions in the wake of a damaging corruption scandal.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, facing the worst crisis of his 11-year rule, said Tuesday he was ready to freeze the legislation in the face of stiff opposition -- but only with conditions.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday he was ready to withdraw a contentious bill aimed at curbing the powers of the judiciary as he battled to contain the worst crisis of his 11 years in office.

His about-face came as the country's political tumult took yet another twist with police raids against an Islamic charity close to the government that is accused of shipping arms to Syrian rebels.

Turkey's president is to meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday after holding talks with opposition leaders on the embattled premier's controversial bid to curb judges' powers.

President Abdullah Gul will meet Erdogan later Monday, the NTV channel reported, as the president held separate meetings on the divisive bill with the heads of the opposition Republican People's Party, Nationalist Movement Party and pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party.

Jailed Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan warned in a statement on Saturday that the peace process initiated with the Turkish state cannot remain in limbo forever, and urged the government to act.

"Despite all the obstacles our will for peace remains as determined as it was on the very first day we but it should be known that it cannot remain in limbo forever," Ocalan said in a message relayed by pro-Kurdish lawmakers who visited him on an island prison off Istanbul.

Turkey's justice minister said Saturday that the government may back down on a bid to curb judges' powers amid a deepening corruption scandal, local media reported.

"If political party groups come together ... and reach a consensus, the proposal could be halted," Bekir Bozdag was quoted as saying by the private NTV television.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Turkey's capital Ankara Saturday in protest against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government, which has been rocked by a vast corruption probe.

As Erdogan arrived home after a week-long tour to Asia, about 20,000 protesters gathered at Ankara's major Sihhiye Square, chanting "revolution will clean this filth" and "they are thieves".