Turkish authorities on Thursday removed several top prosecutors from their posts, including the chief Istanbul prosecutor, the latest fallout in a wide-ranging 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.

It also announced it had approved a probe into several top prosecutors involved in the corruption inquiry.

The government has embarked on a mass purge of police and prosecutors and sought to crack down on the judiciary in the wake of the probe that has ensnared key allies of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The embattled Turkish leader has accused supporters of a rival Islamic cleric who wields considerable influence in the judiciary and police of launching the investigation as part of a "coup plot" against his government.