Ömer Bolat rejects allegations linked to fund investigations

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat rejected the allegation that he withdrew 170 million liras and closed an account as part of the fund investigations. Bolat said no such transaction appeared in the records of the Central Securities Depository and that sukuk collections and purchases made on different dates had been combined and misinterpreted.

Scraper SystemOctober 11, 2026, 12:05 PM

Ömer Bolat rejects allegations linked to fund investigations

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat rejected the allegation that he withdrew 170 million liras and closed an account as part of the fund investigations. Bolat said no transaction of this amount appeared in the records of the Central Securities Depository in his name or those of his relatives.

Bolat said that investigations had been launched into seven portfolio management companies following the government’s decision on September 16, and that some banks had been assigned to liquidate 131 funds belonging to these companies. He argued that the process had been turned into a political debate before the investigations were completed and said two separate allegations had been raised against him.

Statement on 37.8 million liras in investments

Bolat said ministers declare their assets when they take office and throughout their tenure. Saying that he had held senior positions in the business world for 43 years, Bolat stated that he had deposited 37.8 million liras in family savings into a sukuk and lease certificate account at Hedef Investment Portfolio Company on February 26, 2024.

Ticaret Bakanı Ömer Bolat (arşiv)

Bolat said he had not withdrawn money from the investment afterward and noted that payments in Türkiye are made through banks. Describing sukuk as an interest-free money market instrument, Bolat also provided the rates related to the investment’s returns.

Objection to the alleged 170 million-lira transaction

Bolat said new allegations had been raised against him and Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, and that they had responded to them shortly afterward. Bolat said there was no record of a 170 million-lira withdrawal before the operation on September 16 and that the sukuk account had been transferred to Ziraat Bank for liquidation.

Bolat said the Central Securities Depository is a registration and custody center and does not carry out financial transactions based directly on instructions from individuals. He stated that any account closure or withdrawal would have to appear in the banking system.

Ticaret Bakanı Ömer Bolat bir toplantıda (arşiv)

Bolat called for an investigation into whether any account closure or withdrawal totaling 170 million liras had been made at banks in Türkiye in his name or those of his relatives. He also said that no new sukuk payment or collection transaction had been recorded after October 25, 2024.

He argued that the transactions had been combined and misinterpreted

Bolat explained that sukuk lease certificates with different maturities generated various collection and payment transactions between maturing old issuances and new issuances. He argued that transactions carried out over a two-year-and-eight-month, or 32-month, period, along with duplicate records, had been combined to make it appear that 170 million liras had been withdrawn.

Bolat said this method created a false perception and stated that they had conducted an examination of the allegations with lawyers and experts. He announced that he would pursue legal action over the accusations made against him and take the matter to court.

Ömer Bolat rejects allegations linked to fund investigations