CHP leader: Turkey Deputy PM Atalay is ‘mole’ in charity fraud probe

Main Turkish opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıcdaroglu claimed that Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay warned members of the German-based religious Turkish charity fund Deniz Feneri(Lighthouse) and its affiliated television channel Kanal 7 prior to a police operation to arrest members who were implicated in charity fraud.

CHP leader stated during his party’s parliamentary group meeting that deputy prime minister is providing insider information to suspects in a high-profile charity fraud investigation in a long-awaited revelation. Besir Atalay, who was the interior minister at a former administration, was the person who had warned them of a possible police search of their offices prior to the raid that took place on July 6. He reiterated his claims that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has links to the alleged corruption within (Deniz Feneri) Lighthouse Charity Fund and accused the ruling party of trying to cover up an ongoing investigation into the allegations of fraud

Former Turkish Interior Minister : Suspect in Islamic Charity Fraud ?

“Who did the interior minister learn from that there would be a police search [of the offices of Deniz Feneri suspects]? He possibly learned about it from the police officers at the National Police Department. When he left his post as interior minister, his private security manager left the ministry but his official security manager is still with him. Atalay fears he the official security manager will reveal all the facts and get him into trouble,” alleged CHP Head Kılıcdaroglu.

“These documents prove that the suspects were informed about the raid,” said Kılıçdaroğlu, giving information on telephone calls made on Sept. 14, 2009. The raid took place on Oct. 16, 2009.

CHP head Kılıcdaroglu: AKP deputy PM Atalay is ”Mole”

“This is the dossier of the mole,” Kılıçdaroğlu said, lifting up the dossier in his hand to a cheering audience. “The mole is Beşir Atalay.”

The ruling AKP denied immediately any links with the charity and recently called on the CHP leader to prove his claims. Releasing a written statement on Tuesday, Atalay said Kılıçdaroğlu’s claims were all lies and slander aimed at him. Atalay rejected Kılıçdaroğlu’s accusations in a written statement released late yesterday. Atalay’s statement said Kılıçdaroğlu should “look into those who betray their professions and leak secret documents” if he is looking for a mole.

The Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse) administration is accused of funneling money collected for charity from pious workers in Germany into various companies and businesses in Turkey. In September 2008 a German court convicted three Turkish men of funneling $26 million in charitable contributions raised by Deniz Feneri to companies run by conservative individuals in Turkey. The Lighthouse probe was launched in Turkey after a Frankfurt court in 2008 convicted three managers of the Lighthouse e.V. charity in Germany for embezzling 40 million euros. Most of the money is believed to have ended up in Turkey in the coffers of the pro-government and conservative islamist Kanal 7 television channel and a business group whose owners are close to the AKP government.

Nearly a dozen people have been arrested as part of the investigation thus far. Former Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) head Zahit Akman, Kanal 7 Deputy General Manager İsmail Karahan, News Editor Mustafa Çelik, CFO Erdoğan Kara and Kanal 7 CEO Zekeriya Karaman are also among the suspects arrested. Ali Solak, who is suspected of acting as the “bank” for the suspected charity fraud ring, was also arrested as part of the investigation into the charity’s Turkish links.

Lighthouse charity fraud : on EU agenda

The Lighthouse case was high on the agenda of a meeting between Kılıçdaroğlu and the co-chair of the Germany’s Greens, Claudia Roth, late on Oct. 9.

Roth denounced the removal of the three original prosecutors from the case as an open intervention into the judiciary, CHP sources said. In a pointed response, Kılıçdaroğlu said the EU was also responsible for the incident because of the support it gave to last year’s constitutional amendments that changed the structure of the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK).

“Europe did not hear our voice and backed the AKP [Justice and Development Party] in the referendum,” Kılıcdaroglu was quoted as stating. Claudia Roth voiced “serious concern” over freedom of press in Turkey, the sources said, adding that she also suggested that the CHP seek dialogue with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as part of efforts to resolve the Kurdish conflict.

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