Turkey freezes assets of over 700 terror-linked individuals

ANKARA

Turkish authorities have frozen the assets of 771 individuals and institutions over their alleged links to terror groups under a law that establishes measures on prevention and combating money laundering and terrorism financing.

The decision published in the Official Gazette yesterday was made by Treasury and Finance Minister Nureddin Nebati and was also signed by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu.

Among the 770 individuals whose assets were frozen by way of the decision are 454 members of the FETÖ, the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in the country, 119 members of the PKK/KCK, 110 members of terror organizations that exploit religion and 89 members of left-wing groups.

The assets of the U.S.-based Niagara Foundation were also frozen, according to the published decision.

Among the names whose assets were frozen are Nurettin Demirtaş, the elder brother of jailed Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, and Adil Öksüz, one of the prime suspects in the July 2016 coup attempt.

This decision was made on the basis of reasonable grounds that they had committed the acts covered by the articles titled “the crime of financing of terrorism” and “acts prohibited from providing or collecting funds,” it said in the Official Gazette.

Individuals whose assets are frozen will be able to appeal to the Ankara Heavy Penal Court in accordance with the relevant law, it added.

Last year, the Turkish Parliament adopted a law dealing with terror funding and foreseeing the imposition of heavier fines and penalties for those who commit the crime of “terrorism financing.”

The definition of “asset” was revised to match the internationally recognized definition with this decision.