Türkiye is talking about the billions of lira fund scandal that broke out in September. Following the extraordinary increases in value of some investment funds, the crisis deepened when payments to investors were disrupted on September 15.
The Capital Markets Board (CMB) decided to liquidate 131 funds belonging to 7 portfolio management companies on September 17. There were 455 thousand 758 investors in the funds, which reached a size of approximately 1 trillion lira. According to the statement of Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek on October 9, it was determined that 214 people and companies in three fund groups earned a total of 187 billion 653 million lira. It was observed that the Ministry evaluated the gains in question as unfair gains.
The involvement of political figures affiliated with the AKP in the fund investigation was one of the most striking issues. It was determined that Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, former Minister of Family and Social Policies and who resigned from her post as AKP Deputy Chairman on September 26 following the scandal, and her husband İlyas Kaya, earned sales income of 2 billion 170 million liras in return for a share investment of approximately 163 million liras. The couple's earnings of approximately 2 billion lira caused controversy.
Another notable name in the investigation was 28-year-old Pusula Portföy Chairman Muhammed Yarız, who was in the management of the AKP Istanbul Youth Branch in 2021. While 105 million liras of assets of Yarız, who was arrested within the scope of the investigation, were confiscated, the MASAK report detected a money transfer of approximately 2 billion 889 million liras between his account in Türkiye and a bank account in Switzerland. A final amount regarding Yarız's personal earnings has not been disclosed.
While discussions about the scandal continued, citizens demanded that those responsible be held accountable. Judicial decisions made against journalists due to their news and posts regarding the fund investigation were also at the center of the reactions.
'IT WAS A CRIME TO SAY THERE ARE THIEVES'
A citizen speaking into the Cumhuriyet TV microphone reacted to what happened with the following words:
"The nation is starving and cannot pay the rent of their homes. Our sisters, who said we should not touch harams or shake hands with men, took half of Türkiye. I do not believe that they are alone. If they were from the opposition, they would have been taken from their homes at midnight and served to the press in their pajamas. I say this as a citizen who thinks that justice should be equal for everyone. You have been subjected to theft, but you cannot shout that there is a thief. You will expose the thief; this will be a crime. From now on, the thief who enters my house would be taken from their homes and served to the press. "I cannot say 'There is a thief'. I have seen this too."
THOSE WHO MAKE PROFITS AND MAKE FREE NEWS WILL BE PUNISHED
In the fund investigation following the scandal, Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya and her husband İlyas Kaya testified as suspects within the scope of the investigation on October 7. The Kaya couple argued that they did not receive any guidance or special information regarding their share transactions.
On the other hand, journalists Şaban Sevinç and Mustafa Balcı were arrested on October 9 on the charge of "publicly disseminating misleading information" due to their news and posts regarding the fund investigation.
House arrest was ordered for our newspaper's writer Murat Ağırel and journalist İsmail Saymaz on October 10.
Citizens who reacted to the judicial decisions evaluated the events with the words "We watched as an example. To put it simply, it is double standards and injustice." Citizens stated that they found the arrest of journalists "quite wrong" and opposed the punishment of members of the press while they were performing their duties.
'IF THERE WAS OPPOSITION, IT WOULD BE TAKEN AT MIDNIGHT'
Speaking to Cumhuriyet TV, citizens argued that there are different practices in the judicial processes against figures close to the government and opponents.
