Citizenship scam with forged documents: Thousands granted Turkish passports!

Halk TV columnist İsmail Saymaz has brought a new corruption file that will shake public opinion to the agenda. According to Saymaz, a structure operating between 2019 and 2023 enabled thousands of foreigners to obtain Turkish citizenship through forged documents and manipulative transactions. It is stated that the number of people granted Turkish passports through this system is at least 2,691.

CONTRACTOR NETWORK SOLD CITIZENSHIP WITH FORGED DOCUMENTS

According to the allegations, the structure organizing the citizenship scam was managed by a contractor. The network created fake e-signatures, forged bank receipts, and fraudulent valuation reports, presenting real estate that was still under construction or worth far below market value as high-value assets. Through this method, foreigners were illicitly granted citizenship rights.

The scandal emerged last year following a tip-off to CİMER. Within the scope of the investigation launched, it was determined that 146 properties in Istanbul were subject to illicit sales and that 870 foreigners were granted citizenship. During this process, 41 people were detained and 15 were arrested.

With the deepening of the investigation, a second wave of operations was launched. It was determined that citizenship was granted to another 2,691 foreigners through 555 residences in provinces including Istanbul, Yalova, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Tekirdağ, and Balıkesir. Within the scope of the newly prepared 481-page indictment, a lawsuit was filed against 87 suspects, 35 of whom were arrested, while 17 remain fugitives.

The leader of the network is identified in the indictment as Muammer C., Chairman of the Board of Zer Group. It was noted that his son, Ozan C., also played an active role in the scam system. According to MASAK reports, these individuals created the appearance of fake money transfers by circulating funds through a "withdraw-deposit" method.

According to the prepared indictment, foreigners were required to invest 250,000 to 400,000 dollars for real estate. However, residences that did not have a real value at this level were presented for sale as if they were worth several times more. During the citizenship procedures, forged bank receipts were submitted to land registry offices and eligibility certificates were obtained.

The suspects completed the transactions by bribing public officials. While the state's foreign currency earnings were almost wiped out, the loss of approximately 102.6 million dollars in foreign currency corresponds to a loss of 4.1 billion TL at today's exchange rate.

PASSPORTS SOLD WITH CITIZENSHIP, COUNTRY'S REPUTATION DAMAGED

The indictment included the following striking finding:

“Foreigners who did not even come to our country or came for very short periods have obtained citizenship rights and passports through this method. It has been assessed that these individuals used Turkish citizenship as an international tool, and that our country's political reputation and passport value were damaged in this way.”

HEAVY CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST SUSPECTS

Within the scope of the investigation, the following charges were brought against the suspects:

Establishing and managing a criminal organization

Forgery of official and private documents

Qualified fraud

Smuggling foreigners into the country through illegal means