The Treasury and Finance Ministry said there was no personal or commercial relationship between Minister Mehmet Şimşek and a person involved in an investigation that became public.
The ministry said in a written statement that some media outlets had published reports about the person alongside a photograph taken when Şimşek was not serving as minister.
The statement said the use of the same photograph could create a misleading impression of a relationship and connection in the public eye. The ministry said it reserved all legal rights against such publications.