An İstanbul court on Wednesday ordered the seizure of the assets of prominent businessman Halit Dumankaya — an executive board member of Dumankaya Holding — and five others suspected of links to the Hizmet Movement and US-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
As part of an investigation launched by the Anadolu Public Prosecutor’s Office in İstanbul and based on charges that include “membership in a terrorist organization,” “providing financial support to a terrorist organization” and “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization,” a Penal Court of Peace ruled for the seizure of all assets of Halit Dumankaya as well as Necla Dumankaya, Uğur Dumankaya, Barış Değer Dumankaya, Ayla Dumankaya and Semih Serhat Dumankaya, other board members of the holding. Halit Dumankaya was arrested on April 22, 2016 but was released under judicial supervision on May 21.
Thanks to a new decree issued as part of the state of emergency declared on July 20 following a failed coup, Turkey’s government is now set to seize all the Turkish companies and properties owned by businessmen allegedly linked to Gülen.
The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) government has already been appointing trustees to private companies in Turkey as part of its battle against the Gülen movement since a corruption scandal led to the resignation of four Cabinet members in December 2013. A total of 2,000 trustees have been appointed to hundreds of private enterprises in Turkey from the beginning of 2016.