Famous Turkish businessman detained

TAV Construction Chairman of the Board Sani Şener was detained at Lyon Airport in Lyon, France, on January 19, 2026. The detention was carried out as part of an investigation launched regarding an airport investment made in Tunisia in 2007.

INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED THROUGH TAV TUNISIA

The investigation in France is being conducted through TAV Tunisia, a company wholly owned by TAV Airports Holding, in which Aeroports de Paris holds a 46.1 percent stake. It was announced that Şener was detained "temporarily to provide information" as part of the investigation in question.

In its statement, TAV Airports recalled that Şener had stepped down from all his positions at the company as of 2022 and described the detention as "unjust, baseless, and disproportionate." The company stated that Şener was detained "essentially regarding the investigation into Tunisia's political transformation process that began with the 2011 Arab Spring and the investments made in the previous period," arguing that such treatment was "neither fair nor proportionate."

The statement further emphasized that Şener would have been willing to share all the information he possessed had he been invited, and that the detention was an unnecessary and disproportionate measure.

HIGH-LEVEL CONTACT BETWEEN TURKEY AND FRANCE

Following the incident, it was stated that both the Turkish and French governments have engaged in high-level bilateral contacts. According to the statement, both countries are following the matter in local and international courts. It was noted that efforts are underway, through the initiatives of Turkey and France, to ensure Şener's release as soon as possible and for him to continue his international program from where he left off.

News Source: 12punto