State fund probes 1.6 mln Bank Asya accounts for Gülen links

Neşe Karanfil - ANKARA

Turkey’s Saving Deposits Insurance Fund (TMSF) has probed more than 1.6 million bank accounts so far over demands from a number public institutions wanting to learn whether any of their employees had an account with Bank Asya, seized by the state over its links with the Gülen movement, which was believed to be the mastermind behind the failed July 15 coup attempt.

In line with these probes, some 700,000 people have been searched since the end of 2013, when the Dec. 17-25 graft cases started, according to sources close to the matter.

The TMSF was sent a total of 2,500 related written demands from courts and prosecutors, as well as 2,000 from various public institutions, with a decree which was published on Aug. 17 and allows the fund to share the personal data of public sector employees and their families who have accounts in Bank Asya, upon request by the authorities. The account data in the lender has thus been uncovered.

When suspending public officials after the failed coup attempt, one of the main criteria under consideration was whether they were a Bank Asya customer and if they had made financially suspicious banking transactions.

Turkish regulators canceled the banking license of Islamic lender Bank Asya on July 24. The Turkish Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency’s (BDDK) decision came after the TMSF temporarily suspended Bank Asya’s banking operations on July 18.

On May 29 last year, the BDKK, the country’s banking watchdog, ruled for the complete takeover of all shares of Bank Asya by the insurance fund.