Minister Çiftçi reveals the background of the operation against the Süleymancılar! A 70 million dollar center in Cologne...

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi answered questions from Ankara Representative Ahmet Ergen during a live broadcast on NTV. Çiftçi announced that 30 suspects were detained in operations conducted in Ankara, Sakarya, and Antalya as part of an investigation into the Süleymancılar.

Stating that the operation is being carried out under charges of laundering assets derived from crime, fraud, and violation of tax laws, Çiftçi said that Alihan Kuriş, the leader of the group known as the Süleymancılar, is among those detained.

Çiftçi provided the following information regarding the details of the operation:

"An operation was carried out against the Alihan Kuriş criminal organization. It is a very recent development; simultaneous operations were conducted in Ankara, Sakarya, and Antalya for the crimes of laundering assets derived from crime, fraud, and violation of tax laws. As a result, 30 suspects, including Alihan Kuriş, were detained; three individuals are abroad, and efforts to apprehend 10 other individuals are ongoing."

Minister Çiftçi reported that efforts are continuing to apprehend 10 more people, in addition to the 3 suspects who are abroad as part of the operation.

THE INVESTIGATION IS FOCUSED ON THE FINANCIAL STRUCTURE

Stating that the operation is directly aimed at the group's financial activities, Çiftçi expressed that activities have been carried out more covertly since Alihan Kuriş took over the leadership of the group in 2016.

Çiftçi said, "Alihan Kuriş took over this organization in 2016. Or rather, let's say he took over the movement. With his taking over the movement, activities began to be carried out with more secrecy."

The Minister stated that the operation is aimed at the financial leg of the group and drew attention to the structure in Germany.

A 70 MILLION DOLLAR CENTER IN COLOGNE

Çiftçi said that the group is building a large center in the German city of Cologne and that it is being evaluated that a significant portion of the activities will be moved there once this building is completed.

Minister Çiftçi used the following expressions regarding the structure in Europe:

"We know this right now; they are building a large center in Europe, in the German city of Cologne. It is a large investment, a large headquarters worth 70 million dollars when finished. We assess that when this building is finished, when the construction is completed, all of the activities will be shifted there, and that activities will be carried out there from now on."

Çiftçi stated that the center in question is an investment of approximately 70 million dollars and that the group's activities abroad and its financial resources are also being tracked as part of the investigation.