AK Party Deputy Chair Resigns Over 44 Million Dollar Trading Scandal
Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya resigned from Turkey's ruling AK Party following allegations she profited 2.17 billion lira from shipbuilder shares before a market crash.
Deputy chair of the ruling AK Party Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya resigned from her social policies duties on September 27, 2026. Her resignation follows allegations that she and her husband, Ilyas Kaya, profited approximately 2.17 billion lira ($44 million) through the sale of shares in shipbuilder Ozata Denizcilik.
Zeynel Emre, a spokesman for the opposition Yeni Party, alleged the couple invested 163 million lira in April and sold their holdings just before a liquidity crisis in Turkey's investment fund industry caused a market selloff on September 16. Kaya stated she stepped down to allow for an investigation into the claims.
The scandal extends to the corporate leadership of Ozata Denizcilik. The company reported that chairman Ozdemir Ataseven and vice chairman Gokhan Ataseven have been jailed pending trial. They are part of a broader investigation into the funds crisis and suspected share-price manipulation.
Keep reading in the app
The full story and every source, free in the app.
Coming soonGoogle Play