A Turkish court on Tuesday has ordered the seizure of all assets of Turkish businessman Akın İpek, his mother, Melek İpek and other members of the family, over their alleged links to the faith-based Hizmet Movement (a.k.a Gülen Movement).
The Ankara 6th Penal Court of Peace ordered that all assets belonging to the İpek family to be transferred to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) over alleged links to the Hizmet Movement, a social movement inspired by US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.
The court also ruled for the seizure of all assets belonging to businessmen Hamdi Akın İpek, Cafer Tekin İpek, Pelin Zenginer, Ali Serdar Hasırcıoğlu and Şaban Aksöyek.
The İpek family has been put under immense pressure for years by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government due to alleged links to the Hizmet Movement in wake of graft operations in December 17/25, 2013
On Oct. 24, 2015, the government appointed trustees to take over the management of dozens of companies belonging to the İpek family in addition to several media outlets operating under the İpek Media Group, due to their critical stance against the government.
Turkey has already confiscated some TL 12 billion (about $4 billion) in property that belonged to the İpek family as part of an investigation into the Hizmet Movement, according to a statement by Environment and Urbanization Minister Mehmet Özhaseki on Sept. 1, 2016.
