Ziraat Portföy responds to allegations regarding ZJB and ZJI funds

Ziraat Portföy has issued a formal response to allegations concerning its Ziraat Portföy Birinci Serbest (TL) Fon (ZJB) and İkinci Serbest (TL) Fon (ZJI). The company addressed claims made by Yeni Party Izmir Deputy Prof. Dr. Ümit Özlale, which suggested that high-level executives or relatives of Ziraat Bank own the initial shares of these funds.

Ziraat Portföy clarified that the funds were established in 2021 to manage shares acquired through Ziraat Bank's buyback commitment for Ziraat GYO. The company stated that before the funds began trading on the Electronic Fund Trading Platform (TEFAS), all participation shares belonged to Ziraat Bank and Ziraat Portföy. Currently, approximately 95 percent of the shares in both funds remain under the ownership of Ziraat Bank.

The company also denied any business relationship with Tera Portföy and refuted claims that fund returns were disconnected from market realities. Ziraat Portföy noted that prior to TEFAS trading, returns were below the BIST 100 and BIST GYO indices, and since joining TEFAS, returns have aligned with market indices. Additionally, the company clarified that the weight of Ziraat GYO shares in Türkiye Hayat ve Emeklilik funds is only 0.0015 percent.