Corruption allegation at Ziraat Bank from CHP's Cevdet Akay! 'A single letter changed, 1 billion gone'

The 2025 budget of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance was discussed at the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Planning and Budget Committee.

Taking the floor during the meeting, Republican People's Party (CHP) Karabük Deputy Cevdet Akay made corruption allegations regarding Ziraat Bank.

Addressing Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek while holding up photos of the Ziraat Bank logo, Akay said, "There is a 1 billion lira difference between the two photos. How is there a 1 billion lira difference? One is the old emblem, one is the new one. Only the shape of the letter 'a' has been changed. Signage is being replaced at approximately 2,000 branches, digital elements are being changed, bank passbooks are being changed, business cards, letterheads, all materials are being changed, and this costs a figure of 954 million."

'WE DID NOT RECEIVE A SOUND ANSWER TO THIS'

TBMM Planning and Budget Committee member and CHP Karabük Deputy Cevdet Akay, voicing the allegations of irregularity at Ziraat Bank, stated the following:

-We had received information regarding some suspicions. Complaints had been received that valuation companies performing appraisals with Capital Markets Board (SPK) licenses were involved in irregularities by valuing assets higher than they were to facilitate loans. We also had questions regarding senior bank executives acting in violation of the Banking Law.

-For example, Fikrettin Aksu is the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ziraat Participation Bank and an advisor to the General Manager of Ziraat Bank. This person is someone who previously worked at a high level at Ziraat Bank and retired. This individual established a company called NSA Enerji and received a loan of nearly 2 million dollars from Ziraat Bank within 10 days.

-He used this loan despite being a partner in this company that has nothing to do with agriculture. On top of that, he also received an incentive certificate of 7 million 322 thousand liras from the Ministry of Industry and Technology. We had requested that this matter be investigated and the result be reported to us.

-While our farmers cannot access loans, subsidized loans with low interest rates were given to this company in violation of the Banking Law, benefits were obtained, and bank resources were used unfairly. We did not receive a sound answer to this.