An official decision published in Turkey’s government journal (Resmi Gazete) Tuesday (August 20) announced that shares of 12 companies would be transferred to the Turkey Wealth Fund, a state-owned investment fund chaired by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Koza İpek Holding, a Turkish conglomerate included in the list published Tuesday, has long been accused of connections to the Gülen Movement, an Islamist organization accused of orchestrating 2016’s failed coup d’etat attempt.
The list published Tuesday included the following 12 companies whose shares had been transferred to the Turkey Wealth Fund:
- Koza-İpek Holding Joint Stock Company
- İpek Natural Energy Resources Research and Production Joint Stock Company
- Koza Anadolu Metal Mining Enterprises Joint Stock Company
- ATP Construction and Trade Joint Stock Company
- ATP Aviation Trade Joint Stock Company
- ATP Koza Tourism Travel and Trade Joint Stock Company
- REK-TUR Advertising Marketing and Trade Limited Company
- Koza Production and Trade Joint Stock Company
- İpek Online Information Services Limited Company
- Koza Gold Enterprises Joint Stock Company
- Özdemir Antimony Mines Joint Stock Company
- Koza İpek Supply Consultancy and Vehicle Rental Trade Joint Stock Company.
Alleged connections to the Gülen Movement
In the aftermath of the coup attempt, the assets belonging to Koza İpek Holding had been seized on the basis of ‘supporting the Gülen Movement’ and transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSK), a government agency responsible for the management and protection of savings accounts.
In September 2015, an arrest warrant was issued for the holding’s owner Akın İpek for allegedly providing financial support to the Gülen Movement. İpek, who was abroad at the time the warrant was issued, was never detained and currently lives in London.
İpek remains on the Turkish Interior Ministry’s ‘grey list’ over alleged terror connections.
Since 2016’s failed coup attempt, thousands of citizens in civil service, academia, business, media, and other fields have been arrested over alleged connections to the Gülen Movement. The movement’s founder and leader, Fethullah Gülen, lives in exile in Pennsylvania, USA.
Written/translated for Medyascope by Leo Kendrick
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