New detail in the gold smuggling scandal... Secret report was submitted only to the Palace! The increase in assets also caught Erdoğan's attention

The decision by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance in August 2023 to impose a 12-ton quota on unprocessed gold imports caused gold prices to rise in the domestic market. As the price difference between Turkey and Dubai reached up to 5 thousand dollars per kilogram, bringing in gold through illegal means became attractive.

Journalist Timur Soykan wrote that this situation paved the way for some pro-government companies to earn vast fortunes on the Istanbul Gold Exchange.

60 KILOGRAMS OF GOLD BROUGHT THROUGH VIP LOUNGE

The scandal was revealed in a report announced by Soykan on October 9, 2024. According to the information obtained, on September 20, 2024, Yunus Emre Morkoç, the former private secretary of Fatih Metin—a former AKP Bolu MP who also served as a deputy minister in three different ministries—was caught passing through the Istanbul Airport VIP Lounge with 60 kilograms of smuggled gold he had brought from Dubai.

In the process initiated after the incident, no indictment was prepared against Morkoç, nor was a decision of non-prosecution issued.

128 INSTANCES OF SMUGGLED GOLD ENTRY

Intelligence units determined that 5 political figures under the People's Alliance (Cumhur İttifakı) were directly involved in the gold smuggling. It was reported that three of them are currently members of parliament, while the other two are former MPs.

The most striking allegation is that one of these individuals brought smuggled gold from Dubai to Turkey 128 times using the VIP lounge.

Among the names mentioned in political circles are MHP Isparta MP Hasan Basri Sönmez, Bolu MP İsmail Akgül, and Kilis MP Mustafa Demir.

INCREASE IN ASSETS CAUGHT ERDOĞAN’S ATTENTION

According to Soykan's report, a report was prepared under President Erdoğan's instruction examining the assets of the individuals in question. The report included findings that there were sudden and high increases in the wealth of the three MHP MPs.

Following this development, it was claimed that the three MPs were "forced to resign." However, no official statement was made.

ALLEGATIONS OF PRESSURE ON THE INVESTIGATION

While it was noted that the Minister of Justice stated there was no investigation into the incident, it was alleged that pressure was applied from Ankara to close the Morkoç file at the Gaziosmanpaşa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

During this process, comments began to be made that the smuggled gold incident had turned into a judicial scandal.

SECRET REPORT SUBMITTED ONLY TO THE PALACE

In the 7.5 months that have passed, no judicial action has been taken against Morkoç, nor has any action been taken regarding the other individuals.

Timur Soykan stated that all information uncovering the scandal remained only in a secret report submitted to the Presidency, and that the public and the judiciary were not allowed to face this dark picture.