Approximately 1 million Turkish Lira (TL 130,000 and $230,000) of Gaziantep-based Naksan Holding, which was seized by Turkish government under the rule of emergency in the aftermath of a controversial coup attempt on July 15, 2016 and a trustee was appointed in the scope of the massive post-coup witch hunt targeting the Gülen movement, was reportedly stolen.
It was reported that TL 130,000 and $230,000 were stolen from the collection and courier vehicle of Naksan Holding, which was transferred to the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) after it has been seized. The Turkish government has appointed a trustee to company and imprisoned the owners of the holding.
The courier of Naksan Plastik, which is a part of Naksan Holding, allegedly, went to a bank branch in Karagöz Caddesi in order to make payment at noon hours on December 6th, 2017. When the driver of the courier vehicle returned to the vehicle he realized that 1TL 130,000 and $230,000 were stolen in the vehicle. Meanwhile, the driver’s identity couldn’t be verified. Upon notification, the police came to the scene started working to catch the suspect or suspects.
The company under the administration of a government appointed trustee made a written statement regarding the incident and gave the following information: “Some cash money was stolen by thieves from the collection and courier vehicle of our company Naksan Plastik on December 6th, 2017. Investigations, examination and research related to the theft are continuing meticulously by the judicial and security authorities of Gaziantep and we hope that it will be completed as soon as possible. An explanation will be made according to the investigation process in the future.”
The Turkish government under the rule of autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has also seized at least 1,068 companies and 4,888 properties as part of the witch-hunt targeting the Gülen movement.
Turkey survived a controversial military coup attempt on July 15, 2016 that killed 249 people. Immediately after the putsch, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government along with Turkey’s autocratic President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pinned the blame on the Gülen movement.
Fethullah Gülen, who inspired the movement, strongly denied having any role in the failed coup and called for an international investigation into it, but President Erdoğan — calling the coup attempt “a gift from God” — and the government initiated a widespread purge aimed at cleansing sympathizers of the movement from within state institutions, dehumanizing its popular figures and putting them in custody.
Turkey has suspended or dismissed more than 150,000 judges, teachers, police and civil servants since July 15, 2016. Turkey’s Justice Ministry announced on July 13 that 50,510 people have been arrested and 169,013 have been the subject of legal proceedings on coup charges since the failed coup.
