ISTANBUL: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday openly challenged his arch-rival, US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, to return home as their feud deepened with a second leaked recording linking the premier to a corruption scandal.

In his first direct appeal to Gulen, Erdogan said: “If you have not done anything wrong, do not stay in Pennsylvania. If your homeland is Turkey, come back to your homeland.”

“If you want to engage in politics, go out to the squares. But do not stir up this country. Do not disturb the peace of this country,” he told a boisterous crowd of supporters in the city of Burdur.

Erdogan has repeatedly accused associates of Gulen of being behind a high-level corruption probe that has ensnared some of his key political and business allies.

The corruption scandal erupted on December 17 when dozens of Erdogan allies were detained in police raids on allegations of bribery in construction projects, gold smuggling and illicit dealings with Iran.

Tensions have risen further with a phone-tapping scandal implicating Erdogan in corruption.

An audio recording was leaked on Monday in which Erdogan can allegedly be heard telling his son to get rid of millions of euros in cash on the day of the police raids. Erdogan said the audio was fabricated by his rivals.

A second tape was posted online on Wednesday in which Erdogan can supposedly be heard advising his son not to accept an amount of money promised by a businessman in order to extort more money from him.

“Don’t take it. Whatever he has promised us, he should bring it. If he is not going to bring that, there is no need,” the voice purportedly belonging to Erdogan says.

“The others are bringing. Why can’t he? What do they think this business is?... But don’t worry they will fall into our lap.”—AFP