Turkey’s TÜRMOB Defends Audit of Ahbap Charity Amid Arrests

The Turkey Union of Certified Public Accountants (TÜRMOB) issued a statement titled “Arkadaşlarımızın yanındayız” (“We stand with our friends”) asserting that its post‑earthquake review of the Ahbap charitable association was conducted correctly and without procedural errors. The union clarified that the work was a limited “appropriateness” study covering only the two bank accounts reported between 6 February and 30 June 2023, and that it was undertaken voluntarily as a social‑responsibility activity rather than a formal public audit.

Separate criminal investigations by the Competition Authority have led to the detention and imprisonment of former TÜRMOB president Emre Kartaloğlu and other members who performed the review. The probes focus on whether the reports created public trust in Ahbap’s use of donations and whether any misconduct occurred during the audit process.