Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat has responded to allegations raised against him within the scope of investigations and audits into certain investment firms through a statement on his social media account.
Bolat stated that since he began his ministerial duties, declarations of assets belonging to himself and his immediate family members have been regularly submitted to the relevant state authorities in accordance with the applicable legislation. "We have never felt the need to hide any of our assets, sources of income, or savings. Our asset declaration is already in the hands of the state," he said.
Reminding that there are over 1,200 investment funds and numerous capital and money market instruments in Turkey, Bolat characterized the attempts to bring his name into the spotlight through investigations and audits conducted into 7 investment firms on September 16 as "black propaganda" and "social and political lynching."
EMPHASIS ON SUKUK ACCOUNT
Bolat explained that an amount of 37.8 million Turkish Liras, derived from family savings accumulated during his private sector, academic, and business career prior to his ministerial role, was invested on February 26, 2024, into a legal money market financial instrument in the form of a sukuk account within Hedef Yatırım Portföy. He stated that this information is also recorded in his asset declaration.
Stating that this investment has been in the same account for approximately 2 years and 8 months, Bolat noted that the account has not been closed and remains in the same account even after the investigations began on September 16. He recorded that no stock trading or any other investment operation was conducted through these savings before, during, or after the date the fund investigation began.
Bolat argued that the family savings, referred to in the public eye as "money in the fund," are in reality a registered and legal investment vehicle in the form of a lease certificate, known as sukuk. "The statement that 'he put in 400 and took out 800' is a massive lie," said Bolat, emphasizing that no stock trading was conducted through the sukuk account.
Stating that lease certificates are among the investment instruments issued within the framework of legislation, such as government bonds, gold funds, and foreign currency funds, Bolat noted that the income from these instruments is not risk-free or guaranteed; he explained that if the issuing institution fails to fulfill its obligations, the investor may experience a loss of value.
Stating that he does not hold any management, partnership, or signatory authority in any investment or financial institution, Bolat also noted that there are no crypto asset or overseas financial investment transactions. Expressing that all his financial movements are under the recording and auditing systems of the relevant state institutions, Bolat said they are open to any kind of examination and audit by authorized bodies.
At the end of his statement, Bolat announced that he would use his legal rights to the fullest extent against the allegations, which he stated were aimed at misleading the public and damaging his reputation.
News Source: 12punto
