Turkish authorities detain 11 suspects in Can Holding probe

Turkish authorities have detained 11 suspects, including executives of Can Holding, as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into alleged “aggravated fraud,” “money laundering,” and “forming a criminal organisation.”

The interrogation of suspects detained as part of the investigation has been completed, and they have been referred to court, Caliber.Az reports per Turkish media.

Eleven individuals — Mehmet Remzi Sanver, Mehmet Kenan Tekdağ, Mehmet Sıddık Kaya, Emin Şahin, Nuh Zafer Metin, Serap Özgür, Abdüsselam Yıldız, Tuncay Şahin, Adnan Yıldız, Nurettin Paksoy, and Mustafa Şahin — were brought before the court with a request for arrest on charges of “membership in a criminal organisation for profit” and “money laundering of illicit assets.”

The court ruled to impose judicial control measures on all 11 suspects, including travel bans, while three of them were placed under house arrest. The investigation was launched based on reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (FCIB) and findings from financial audit units.

Authorities determined that large sums of money of unknown origin had been transferred through companies operating under Can Holding, circulated between various firms to conceal their source, and that tax obligations were deliberately understated through the use of unrecorded transactions and falsified documents.

The case against Can Holding began in September 2025 when Turkish prosecutors uncovered evidence suggesting large-scale financial misconduct and money laundering.

The company, which owns major media outlets such as Habertürk, Show TV and Bloomberg HT, as well as energy and construction assets, is accused of creating a complex web of shell firms to disguise the flow of illicit funds. 

Following the raids, Türkiye’s Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF) seized control of Can Holding and its affiliated entities, citing “protection of public interest.”

By Jeyhun Aghazada