CHP's Özgür Karabat makes a highly controversial money laundering claim! 'Mehmet Şimşek is turning a blind eye'
CHP Deputy Chairman Özgür Karabat has alleged that money is being laundered into Turkey from abroad, pointing out that 309 POS devices were issued to 31 companies for international transactions. Stating that an investigation is underway, Karabat claimed that Şimşek is turning a blind eye to the operation of the system.
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Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chairman and Istanbul MP Özgür Karabat questioned Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek regarding allegations of money laundering in Turkey via POS devices linked to Libya and Iraq.
Recalling Şimşek's statement that “We are not looking for money abroad,” Karabat claimed that a large portion of the funds used to close the current account deficit is arriving via POS devices.
Stating that over 70 billion dollars in transactions have been processed through the POS device money laundering system since 2019, Karabat noted that the BRSA (BDDK) and MASAK are aware of the processes, and that the Prosecutor's Office and the Revenue Administration are conducting an investigation.
Karabat said, "But Şimşek continues to turn a blind eye to the operation of the system."
Sharing his remarks on the social media platform X, Karabat stated the following:
"The laundering of dirty money transferred to Turkey from abroad, primarily from Libya and Iraq, via POS devices continues. Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek is ignoring this. Mehmet Şimşek, who has visited every country in Europe and the Middle East in search of hot money, says, 'We are not looking for money abroad.' He is actually right. Because a large portion of the money that closes the current account deficit as 'net errors and omissions' is coming in via POS devices.
Since 2019, over 70 billion dollars in transactions have been processed within the POS device money laundering system. The BRSA and MASAK know about these. The Prosecutor's Office and the Revenue Administration are conducting an investigation into this matter. But Şimşek continues to turn a blind eye to the operation of the system! A report prepared by the BRSA regarding the issue and submitted to the prosecutor's office states that 309 POS devices were issued to 31 companies for international transactions. No 'daily limit point' was established for these companies and POS devices. Thus, they are able to process hundreds of thousands of dollars in transactions within a single day."