Key facts
- Anadolu said the court charged Kaya with violating capital markets law and membership of an organization formed to commit a crime.
- The prosecutor accused Kaya of holding undisclosed information likely to influence the price or value of a capital market instrument, per Anadolu.
- Anadolu said Kaya had contacts with Emre Tezmen, a former executive of one of the asset managers at the center of the turmoil.
- A Yeni Party spokesman accused the couple of receiving about 2.17 billion lira from sales of investments worth a combined 163 million lira.
An Istanbul court arrested Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, a former minister of family and social services and a senior member of the ruling AK Party, early on November 6, 2026, state-run Anadolu Agency and other domestic media reported. The court acted on charges of "violating the law on capital markets" and "membership of an organisation established for the purpose of committing a crime", Anadolu said.
The arrest followed questioning by the bureau that investigates money laundering crimes for the Istanbul chief prosecutor's office, according to Anadolu. Her husband, Ilyas Kaya, was released under judicial measures banning travel abroad in the same investigation.
The prosecutor accused Kaya of possessing undisclosed information likely to influence the price or value of a capital market instrument, Anadolu reported. The official added that she had contacts with Emre Tezmen, a former executive of one of the asset managers at the center of the turmoil, according to Anadolu.
In September, a spokesman of the main opposition Yeni Party accused the couple of receiving about 2.17 billion lira ($43.27 million) from sales of investments to the tune of a combined 163 million lira ($3.25 million), mainly in shares of shipbuilder Ozata Denizcilik, made in April 2026. Ozata Denizcilik shares traded at around 220 lira at the start of April and rose to 4,980 lira on September 15, before the turmoil in the investment fund industry.
Suspected share-price manipulation in thinly traded stocks triggered a liquidity crisis and sent share prices tumbling on September 16. Kaya quit the AK Party after stepping down in September from her role as deputy chairperson.