Opposition leader slams Erdoğan over multibillion dollar fund crisis

ANKARA

Main opposition New Party leader Özgür Özel, during an address to his parliamentary group, on Nov. 3. (AA Photo)

Main opposition New Party leader Özgür Özel has once again challenged President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over the widening investigation into Türkiye’s multibillion-dollar fund scandal, renewing his calls for early polls.

“Forty-eight days have passed since the fund-crisis emerged. The officials appointed by Erdoğan have sized the money entrusted to them by the people. This the biggest heist of our history,” Özel said during an address to his parliamentary group on Nov. 3.

Türkiye has been dealing with a major financial crisis since mid-September after an investment bubble burst, forcing market regulators to shut down and cash out 131 manipulated investment funds. Senior bureaucrats either resigned or were removed from their posts while some of them are facing judicial processes.

Özel claims that the scope of the fund-crisis is over $100 billion.

“This is entirely a plot by the [ruling Justice and Development Party] AKP figures. You know, they often mention the Century of Türkiye. And this is the heist of the century,” he said.

“Two questions to Mr. Erdoğan: Did you know about it or not? If he says ‘I didn’t know’ then you should immediately take the country to the elections. If you knew, then you should resign,” he suggested.

The fund-crisis has also impacted the Istanbul Stock Exchange, which has been in constant decline since mid-September, Özel claimed, saying the government’s wrongful policies have hit the economy of the entire country and 86 million people.

Özel also criticized the government for not exposing those who have made fortunes during this process, arguing them many of them are related to the government.