İYİ Party's Çömez makes 'fraud' allegation against Hafize Gaye Erkan

İYİ Party Balıkesir Deputy Turhan Çömez made statements regarding the complaint petition submitted to CİMER by Central Bank employee Büşra Bozkurt, alleging that she was dismissed by Erol Erkan, the father of Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan.

Reacting to the allegations with a video on his social media account, Turhan Çömez submitted a parliamentary question yesterday for Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek to answer.

Çömez directed the following questions to Şimşek:

"Is the information that a special protocol is applied to Central Bank Governor Hafize Erkan's father, Mr. Erol Erkan, and her mother, Mrs. Gamze Erkan, correct? Is the information that an office was allocated to Mr. Erol Erkan at the Central Bank correct?

Is the information that Mr. Erol Erkan comes and goes to the building where the Central Bank is located using state official vehicles correct? If all of this is true, do you think such a practice will damage the reputation and credibility of the Central Bank?

Do you think it is possible for the Central Bank to be managed with this mindset?"

'THERE IS A BANKING LAW VIOLATION ACCUSATION AGAINST ERKAN'

In the video he shared, Turhan Çömez claimed that there is an investigation into Hafize Gaye Erkan in the USA on charges of "fraud".

Çömez said, "We took someone who is under investigation for allegedly violating banking laws and defrauding the bank where she worked, brought her all the way from America, and put her at the head of the Central Bank. We said, 'If anyone can save us, only you can.' She packed up, took her whole family with her, and came to the Central Bank. She set up an office for her father, allocated official vehicles, and allegedly, her family was greeted with special protocols when they came to the Central Bank," he said.

'HER FATHER IS POINTING FINGERS'

Claiming that Erkan's father assaulted waiters, Çömez said, "That wasn't enough; her father started pointing fingers at people in the corridors, saying, 'We came all the way from America to save you.' He held meetings, called staff he didn't like to his office, scolded them, and fired them.

He even slapped waiters whose service he didn't like, according to the allegations. Don't say, 'Can such a thing happen?' We also said it couldn't, but we were curious. Since all this disgrace has been exposed, we said we shouldn't remain silent and submitted a parliamentary question to Minister of Finance Mehmet Şimşek. Let's see what he will answer?

Maybe, as always, he might say, 'We issued a circular. There is no paper waste. That's why we are not answering.' But Turkey does not deserve this picture, this disgrace," he said.

'SHE ALSO CREATED AN OFFICE FOR HER CHILD'

In his statement today, İYİ Party Balıkesir Deputy Turhan Çömez brought up other allegations.

"Information is pouring in like rain from the Central Bank. The latest ones are even more disturbing," said Çömez, adding, "An office has also been created for the governor's child on the executive floor. We had heard recently that an office was created for her father. A Central Bank employee, whose salary we pay with our taxes, has been specially assigned for the new governor's child and is constantly with the child for their care. It is a private nanny who accompanies the governor not only in Ankara but also on her travels to Istanbul and elsewhere," he stated.

'WHEN THE CHILD GOES SOMEWHERE, SECURITY GUARDS ACCOMPANY AS PROTECTION'

Stating that security guards accompany Erkan's child as protection, Çömez said, "On the other hand, whenever the governor's child goes anywhere in the Central Bank or goes out to the garden, 3 or 4 security guards from the bank reportedly accompany the child as protection. All of this is extremely disturbing and a picture that should not exist in a democratic country. We have submitted a parliamentary question to investigate whether this is true, and we have submitted a motion to Minister of Finance Mr. Şimşek for all of this to be answered. When the answer comes, we will undoubtedly share it with you," he said.

'I REQUESTED AN APPOINTMENT FROM ERKAN'

Stating that he requested an appointment from Central Bank Governor Hafize Gaye Erkan, Çömez said, "I had an appointment request from Ms. Gaye Erkan to talk about and understand in more detail how true these are and why, if they are true. However, her assistant stated that she was abroad. If she comes next week and this meeting takes place, I will inform you of the result. However, the fact that a Central Bank governor has been abroad for 3 weeks during this critical period is a very serious question mark. This is a situation that should be seriously questioned for the credibility of a bank," he said.

WHAT HAPPENED?

In her statement yesterday regarding the allegations against her, Hafize Gaye Erkan denied the claims and said, "In recent days, news that is confidence-shaking, intentional, and inconsistent with the facts has been circulated about our Bank by targeting me and my family. The baseless news accusing me and our Bank is absolutely unacceptable. I will use my legal rights against those responsible."