Italian PM fights back after Turkey president says probing into his son to threaten bilateral ties

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Tuesday that Italy's judges did their jobs by the constitution in a case to investigate a son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The words of Renzi came after Erdogan said earlier a money-laundering probing into his son Bilal in Italy might pose a threat to bilateral relations.

"In Italy we have an autonomous, independent judiciary, which acts according to the law and combats all forms of lawlessness," Renzi was quoted by ANSA news agency as saying.

"Judges answer to the Italian constitution and not to the Turkish president. We call this system the rule of law, and we're proud of it."

Prosecutors in Italy's northern city of Bologna have been investigating Bilal, who is studying in Bologna, as part of the probing into a money-laundering case.

Local media said Erdogan's son was put in the list of people under investigation. It follows a petition to the authorities from Turkish businessman Murat Hakan Uzan, a political opponent who is wanted by the Turkish government and currently in exile.

The petition asks Italian police to investigate potential sums of money brought to Italy by Bilal, 35, who returned to Italy in autumn 2015 to resume PhD studies which he began in 2007 in Bologna.

Erdogan said earlier that the criminal investigation involving his son could jeopardize the Turkish-Italian relations.

In an interview with Italy's broadcater RAI News 24, Erdogan said the probe would put the bilateral ties "in difficulty." Endit