One of the co-owners of Islamic lender Bank Asya, which was closed down due to its links to the Gülen movement in the aftermath of a coup attempt in July 2016, has been detained in Ankara.
Kamil Yavuz M. was detained in a police operation in Ankara’s Çukurambar neighborhood on Monday. He is accused of membership in a terrorist organization as the Turkish government holds the Gülen movement responsible for the coup attempt and labels it as a terrorist organization.
The movement strongly denies any involvement in the failed coup.
Photos showed Yavuz M. being handcuffed from behind and forced into a police car.
The Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) had taken over management of Bank Asya and assumed control of 63 percent of its privileged shares, enough to name the board, in February 2015. In the aftermath of the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, the government closed down Bank Asya on the grounds that it was linked to the Gülen movement.
Following the coup attempt, Turkish courts have prosecuted thousands of people over their accounts at the Gülen-linked bank, charging them either with membership in a terrorist organization or with aiding and abetting a terrorist organization.