Can Holding owner Kemal Can's 'state officials' confession: They directed it

In the investigation initiated by the Istanbul Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into Can Holding and subsequently transferred to the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, detention warrants were issued for 10 people on charges of 'money laundering,' 'smuggling,' and 'fraud.' While 6 suspects, including Kemal Can, were arrested, Can Yayın Holding Chairman of the Board Mehmet Kenan Tekdağ was released under judicial control measures in the form of house arrest. 

Last Sunday, the investigation was expanded to include the Ciner Group, and an inquiry was launched into allegations that “money laundered from organized criminal activities was used in the sale of Ciner Media to Can Holding.” While an arrest warrant was issued for Ciner Group boss Turgay Ciner due to his presence abroad, trustees were appointed to the group's companies, and 12 suspects were detained. Turgay Ciner's son, Atilla Ciner, and Gökhan Şen, CEO of Ciner Glass A.Ş., were arrested after being referred to the duty Magistrate Judge with a request for detention.

Soykan's article is as follows:

"Reports in pro-government media claimed that Kemal Can had benefited from effective remorse and made confessions. It is seen in the testimony that this is not true. At the beginning of his statement taken at the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Kemal Can was asked, 'Do you want to benefit from effective remorse?' He replied, 'No.'

He denied smuggling allegations

In the past, operations had been conducted against the Can Family due to cigarette smuggling, and they also legally owned a cigarette factory. It is alleged that the source of their massive wealth is also smuggling. However, it is noteworthy that Kemal Can did not make a statement regarding tobacco trade. The prosecution asked, “Have you been involved in fuel smuggling or cigarette smuggling crimes?”

Kemal Can replied, “I have not participated in any crime that violates the anti-smuggling law in any way. There is no conviction decision by the court regarding this.”

"Our state elders wanted it"

After general questions, the prosecution moved on to the acquisition of the Ciner Media Group, which includes Habertürk and Show TV, by Can Holding. It was asked as follows:

“What role did you personally play in the process of Can Holding's acquisition of the Ciner Media Group?”

Kemal Can gave the following answer, in which his emphasis on 'our state elder' is very striking:

“We had not normally operated in the media sector within the holding. In 2024 or earlier, one of our state elders mediated the purchase of KRT TV for a total of 7 million, with 3 paid in advance and 4 in installments. However, since we did not know the sector and due to various processes at that time, we gave up on this.”

In the interrogation, after the acquisition of the Ciner Media Group, it was the turn of Doğa College to be acquired by Can Holding.

The prosecution asked Kemal Can, “Through which companies did you provide the financing during the acquisition process of Doğa College?” But Kemal Can revealed a much bigger scandal in his answer. A very critical institution like Türk Telekom was almost going to be sold to a family accused of smuggling.

Kemal Can explained as follows:

“At first, as our company structure, a direction had been given with the intention of purchasing Türk Telekom. We had been involved in an acquisition process through a financial engineering method, agreeing with banks to obtain credit without paying an upfront amount for the purchase of Türk Telekom. Because our holding is old and established, and due to our visionary and corporate perspective on this matter, this issue was directed to us. When the Russia-Ukraine war broke out during that period, the acquisition of Turkcell by the wealth fund came to the agenda. When both Turkcell and Türk Telekom were transferred to the wealth fund, direction was given by high-level officials for the purchase of Doğa College. It was requested that the grievances of an educational institution operating with approximately 104 branches be resolved... After taking it over, we paid a total of 570 million dollars over time. When we took over the college, it was in debt. We made such a move to resolve the grievances under the direction of high-level officials.”

Striking names in the management of Bilgi University

The Can Family, which has been on the agenda for years with cigarette and fuel smuggling, purchased Bilgi University, one of Turkey's largest universities, from a US company in 2019. However, the source of this money was never questioned for years. Whatever changed, they are now being held accountable, and 'state officials' were always mentioned in the answers.

The prosecution asked Kemal Can, “With which individuals was a financial partnership relationship established during the process of bringing Bilgi University into the Can Holding structure?”

Kemal Can replied as follows:

“We were directed to purchase Bilgi University under the guidance of high-level state officials. We purchased the university at that time for a total of 90 million dollars, some of which was in installments. There was a decision to take the university out of the hands of the US and gain it domestic status. We purchased the university based on this.”

The prosecution continued the accusation, ignoring the 'high-level state officials' again:

“How do you explain the allegations that personnel were recruited for an organized structure or money was laundered through the university?”

Kemal Can gave a very meaningfulanswer:

“Themanagement staff was formed under the direction and with the approval of our high-level state officials, and this situation will be confirmed when the roles and backgrounds of the people who are still in the state hierarchy are examined.”The management

structure of Bilgi University confirms Kemal Can's words. BilgiUniversity Rector Ege Yazgan is alsoa member of the Presidential Economic Policies Board. In addition,Ahmet Selim Köroğlu, a member of the university's Board of Trustees, is alsoa prominent figure. This confirms the political ties.son, Chief Advisor to the President. In fact, Kemal Can wants to say this: “Since I laundered money,I managed organizational activities. How did these names,who are close to the Palace, take part in the university administration…”At the beginning of his testimony, Kemal Can, who claimed his monthly income was 1 million TL, was talking about investments worth hundreds of millions of dollars.The prosecutor's office asked why his personal financial situation did not match these investments.

Kemal Can argued that this question was procedurally improper,explained that he had engaged in financial engineering,and said, “I can explain the entire process through state incentives for some of the investments, our credibility margins based on agreements with banks,the maturity options offered during the acquisition processes,

and financial cooperation between sectors.I do not accept any situation that does not match my personal financial status.”... ..................... ... ......