Major rift in Menzil... Money laundering accusations between brothers: Is a 17 billion fortune behind the fight?

As the power and inheritance struggle between the brothers managing the sect deepens, Muhammed Saki Erol, leader of the Serhendi Group, alleged that his brothers, Fettah and Mübarek Erol, have been using funds belonging to the sect through the Semerkand Group for their personal interests.

In a speech addressed to his followers, Muhammed Saki Erol claimed that the Semerkand Group forces sect members to subscribe to magazines and uses this method to launder money.

Erol stated, "How can those who cannot even fill a single row in a mosque manage to get over 100 thousand magazine subscribers? They are forcing followers to write checks. This is the greatest indicator that we have strayed from purity."

IS A 17 BILLION LIRA FORTUNE BEHIND THE FIGHT?

Emphasizing that most of the companies belonging to the sect were established through his own initiative, Erol said, "I founded the first magazine and radio station with 10 thousand marks. We established TÜMSİAD so that the 'sofis' (followers) could support one another. The Beşir Association and Nakış Gıda were created to help the poor and needy. However, now everything is managed for commercial gain."

Claiming that his brothers emptied the safe of their ailing father, Saki Erol alleged that many institutions belonging to the Menzil sect are now being used to generate financial profit.

While it is alleged that the inheritance is worth 17 billion lira, the struggle between the parties is deepening further.

PROTESTS IN ISTANBUL AND SAKARYA

The disagreement between the Serhendi and Semerkand groups has spilled into the streets. As tensions between the two groups escalate in Istanbul and Sakarya, supporters of the Serhendi Group have protested against the Semerkand Foundation.

The tension was further fueled by the Semerkand Foundation demanding rent for properties in Adana and Antalya that are used by the Serhendi Foundation, as well as the closure of the Semerkand Complex in Kavacık, Istanbul, under the pretext of renovations.

''THERE WAS NO TIME LEFT FOR SECT DISCOURSES DUE TO TALKING ABOUT MONEY''

Stating that the greatest indicator of corruption within the sect is the obsession with money, Muhammed Saki Erol said, "Followers were constantly pressured for money. Pressures such as 'We have written this much for you, you will give us a check' or 'Whether you buy the books or not, you will pay for them' were being heard. It reached a point where there was no time left for sect discourses because of talking about money."

As the division within the Menzil community deepens, the struggle for control over the foundations and companies affiliated with the sect continues.