Justice Minister Akın Gürlek made a statement at the ministry in Ankara about the fund investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Gürlek said, "It has been determined that the structure we are facing is not limited to simple stock market manipulation or a stock market fraud, but is a comprehensive criminal structure." Gürlek also said the network had formed a cartel and harmed the economy.
Gürlek said the structure aimed to manipulate certain shares, absorb liquidity from the market and take control of it. He alleged that oversight mechanisms were being neutralized through a bribery network. The minister said, "As of today, the existence of the network that infiltrated our high-level oversight mechanisms has become quite clear. Testimonies are revealing new suspects, and the investigation is continuing in greater depth."
The investigation in numbers
According to information shared by Gürlek, 433 people have so far been listed as suspects in the investigation. Of these, 112 were detained, judicial-control measures were imposed on 186, and arrest warrants were issued for 38 fugitives. The assets and bank accounts of 359 individuals and 111 legal entities were seized. Approximately 30 billion Turkish liras was returned in money, real estate and shares to the voluntary-return account opened under the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).
The minister said legal proceedings had been and continued to be carried out against "bureaucratic figures from the highest to the lowest levels, individuals and legal entities, and political figures" determined to be connected to the criminal structure. Former Borsa Istanbul General Manager Korkmaz Enes Ergun was also detained today on charges of receiving bribes in the investigation.
"Money taken abroad will be returned to the economy"
Gürlek said, "The money this criminal structure transferred abroad will certainly be returned to our national economy," adding that the investigation's economic and administrative aspects were being monitored by the Fund Coordination Board chaired by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. The minister stressed that the presumption of innocence would be respected and said, "Anyone whose guilt is established will answer for it."
Gürlek criticized some opposition figures for politicizing the investigation, said they would not accept smear campaigns and declared, "Our nation should be at ease; our state and institutions are strong, and we will resolve this problem as well and thwart the efforts of Türkiye's enemies."
Photos and video: AA
