Major financial crime probe targets leadership of Islamic group

ANKARA

Turkish authorities on Aug. 13 launched an operation targeting the leader and senior figures of an Islamic religious community known as the “Süleymancılar,” following the detection of substantial suspicious financial transactions allegedly linked to money laundering.

The order’s leader, Alihan Kuriş, and 48 others were among wanted suspects as part of the operation led by prosecutors in the capital Ankara.

The case is centered on “organized financial crimes,” with suspects facing allegations including corruption, money laundering, the orchestration of unusual cash flows through high-capital companies and irregularities involving commercial transactions.

More than 100 billion Turkish Liras (over $2 billion) were transferred abroad through certain individuals and companies believed to be affiliated with the organization, local media said, quoting an investigation report.

International money transfers have come under scrutiny, with allegations of transactions involving links to Israel reportedly being investigated as part of the probe.

As part of the investigation, searches were conducted at a total of 123 addresses across 17 provinces, authorities said.

The locations searched included premises belonging to 33 companies.

Local media reports emphasized that the operation was not being conducted on the basis of the community’s social or religious activities.

Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi told NTV that the group’s activities “became more clandestine” after Kuriş assumed its leadership in 2016.

Çiftçi also said the community built a $70 million headquarters in Cologne, Germany and that authorities believed its activities could eventually be relocated there.

The minister added that authorities were working on the operation for a long time.

The community traces its roots to Süleyman Hilmi Tunahan, who founded the religious movement that later became widely known in Türkiye as the “Süleymancılar,” a term referring to followers of Süleyman.

In the early 1990s, it was estimated to have around 2 million members in Türkiye, though its current membership count is not exact. The community has opened religious courses, student dormitories, foundations and companies in several countries.

The movement has been continuing to maintain an extensive network of activities.