An İstanbul Court on Friday appointed trustees to the administration of Dumankaya Holding over links with the Gülen movement and US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, whom the Turkish government accuses of being behind a failed coup attempt on July 15.
The decision of the Anadolu 1st Penal Court of Peace in İstanbul came after the Organized Crime and Financial Crimes Investigation Bureau requested the appointment of trustees to all companies under Dumankaya Holding.
On Aug. 25, all assets of prominent businessman Halit Dumankaya — an executive board member of Dumankaya Holding — and five other board members were seized by court order over his suspected links to the Gülen movement.
On July 1, Dumankaya was put under house arrest with an electronic bracelet attached to his ankle based on charges that included “membership in a terrorist organization,” “providing financial support to a terrorist organization” and “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization.”
TWO COMPANIES IN DENİZLİ TRANSFERRED TO TMSF OVER GÜLEN LINKS
Meanwhile on Friday, two companies in the western province of Denizli were transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as part of an investigation into their owners over Gülen links.
The Üçgül Socks and Eva Textile companies, owned by Veli Yağcı and Abdullah Yağcı, respectively, were transferred to the TMSF. The Yağcı brothers were previously detained in Denizli over links to Gülen as part of police operations after the coup attempt.
Thanks to new decrees issued as part of the state of emergency declared on July 20 following the 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 (AKP) government has already been appointing trustees to private companies 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.