ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Fifty-four people have been detained as part of an investigation into alleged market manipulation at the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB), broadcasters said on Thursday.
An official at the financial fraud section of the Istanbul police, who declined to be named, told Reuters that the operation had been launched but would not give details.
The IMKB declined to comment.
"I have been unable to obtain much detailed and satisfactory information but I presume that this is an investigation into an old matter," a senior broking industry source who declined to be named told Reuters.
"If that is the case I don't think the matter is of a scale to threaten the sector or the existence of brokerages," he said.
The police's organised crime department had launched the operation on the instructions of the chief prosecutor's office in Istanbul, broadcaster NTV said on its website.
It said the list of 54 people had been compiled after a month-long investigation and that police were detaining those on the list.
Brokers and businessmen were among those on the list, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.
At 9:35 a.m. British time the market's main share index was 2.3 percent higher, little changed from its level before the news.
(Reporting by Istanbul newsroom; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Greg Mahlich)