PM kin’s firm ’no secret’

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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The skirmish between Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, candidate for Istanbul mayor and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan began last week when the candidate alleged a "front" hiding a partnership in the company. The so-called front protecting the ownership of Erdoğan’s son Bilal in Atasay Jewelry was in the form of an accountant, Ekrem Tosun.  

The prime minister initially responded that he had never heard of someone by that name. Subsequently, Kılıçdaroğlu produced documents showing Tosun had formal power of attorney authority to act on the younger Erdoğan’s behalf and vote his shares. He further alleged that during the time of his son’s interest in the company, the prime minister had supported the elimination of value added taxes on jewelry.

But Yesterday Cihan Kamer, the firm’s owner, dismissed the suggestion that there was anything secret about the relationship. It was all just standard procedure as the young shareholder and his sister-in-law are frequently abroad and unable to vote their shares he explained. A partnership registration is not compulsory in the incorporated business, he added.

"The partnership of Bilal Erdoğan can be seen from the list of meeting attendees, it is not confidential," Kamer said, a friend of the prime minister. "There is no problem in helping his children in going into business."

Tosun, a certified public accountant, is the representative of Bilal Erdoğan and Sema Erdoğan (Erdoğan’s other son Burak Erdoğan’s wife) in the Atagold Company. Kılıçdaroğlu said he brought the issue to the agenda by inquiring about the identity of Tosun last week. That question prompted the prime minister’s answer that made headlines across the nation.

Tosun said in a written statement Friday that he had been using votes on behalf of Bilal Erdoğan and Sema Erdoğan in the Atagold Company’s ordinary general meetings, reported the daily Hürriyet. Tosun said as those partners of the company are living abroad he exercised the voting rights.

"Although this situation poses no problem legally, Kılıçdaoğlu stated that to the public as if it my job is illegal and criminal," Tosun said.

Kılıçdaroğlu said yesterday that his documents and claims about Tosun and his representation of Erdoğan’s son and daughter in law were not over. He responded to Tosun’s statement saying: "Why does the prime minister’s son want to hide his name in this case. That matters to me."

Kılıçdaroğlu also said he was ready to help the prime minister if he wanted to learn more about the accountant handling his son’s business affairs.