Mahmut Arıkan alleges 525 billion lira loss in fund scandal

Saadet Party Chairman Mahmut Arıkan has criticized the government regarding a major financial scandal involving capital market funds, alleging an 11-month chain of negligence that resulted in a loss of 525 billion lira.

Arıkan noted that while Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek identified market manipulation on November 4, 2025, official intervention did not occur until September 17, 2026. He argued that had the intervention happened when the manipulation was first identified, the fund size would have been 297 billion lira instead of the current 822 billion lira.

The Saadet Party leader called for transparency, demanding a “roadmap of the money” to reveal the true beneficiaries of the companies receiving the most investment from these funds. He also criticized the timing of recent investigations and social media activity, suggesting that leadership changes within regulatory institutions do not absolve officials of responsibility for the oversight period.