Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday lashed out against CNN correspondent Ivan Watson amid international attention on a weekend incident that saw Watson assaulted by Turkish authorities as he was reporting on an anti-government protest:

“The international media that came to Istanbul and made exaggerated, provocative calls were licking their paws,” Erdogan said in front of parliament today.

“One of them was that CNN flunky. He was caught red-handed. These people have nothing to do with a free, impartial, independent press. These people are literally executing their duties as agents,” Erdogan is quoted as saying.

The Turkish premier’s tirade was promptly picked up by global media outlets and wires. Reuters provided additional context for both Erdogan’s speech and the original incident that saw Watson detained:

Istanbul police interrupted a live CNN International broadcast on Saturday and briefly held Watson, the news broadcaster’s long-time Istanbul correspondent. He was reporting on the first anniversary of Turkey’s biggest anti-government protests in decades.

Erdogan has repeatedly accused the foreign media and governments of having a hand in the protests, which have erupted sporadically but with far fewer numbers since last June. He also blames an international conspiracy for a graft scandal that implicated his inner circle in December.

The graft scandal reference is to an ongoing corruption probe that has ensnared both Erdogan and top members of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Ankara had responded by purging literally thousands of police and judiciary figures who had been involved in the investigations. Another 18 police chiefs were purged this week.

[Photo: Cihan Haber Ajansi / YouTube]