ROME: Italian prosecutors are investigating the son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for money laundering amid accusations he smuggled large amounts of cash into the country, a judicial source told AFP on Thursday. A probe was launched into Bilal Erdogan after Italian authorities were petitioned by Turkish businessman Murat Hakan Uzan — an exiled political opponent of Erdogan — to investigate a purported “getaway operation” from Turkey to Italy. Erdogan’s son moved to Bologna in August to complete his doctoral studies, but was accused by anti-government parties of fleeing his homeland after being implicated in a corruption scandal. Bilal, who lives in the north Italian city, insisted he was merely winding up his PHD in international relations at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. The 35-year old was implicated in corruption allegations in December 2013 against the president’s inner circle that Erdogan, then premier, denied. Leaked tapes emerged in February 2014 of Erdogan allegedly telling Bilal to dispose of some $37 million in cash.