Gov’t media maintain attack on Bank Asya

Bank Asya headquarters is pictured in İstanbul on Feb. 4. (Photo: Reuters)
Bank Asya headquarters is pictured in İstanbul on Feb. 4. (Photo: Reuters)


Date posted: July 21, 2015

In yet another allegation targeted at Turkey’s largest Islamic lender, Turkey’s pro-government media continued a smear campaign against Bank Asya, the lender’s shareholders said on Sunday, reiterating that the bank operated fully in line with laws.

Turkish daily Yeni Akit, with close links to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reported on Sunday that Bank Asya extended loans to certain Turkish-owned companies abroad and failed to collect these loan debts.

The same daily also alleged that Asya was made to post losses due to these non-performing loans. A group of Asya shareholders denied allegations on Sunday, referring to the claims as “slander.”

“All of Bank Asya loan traffic inside and outside of Turkey is monitored by the Finance Ministry’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board [MASAK]. … There is not a single incident where Bank Asya sustained losses due to a loan extended and all of these loans have been paid back to the bank,” the shareholders said in Sunday’s written statement.

After a three-month period of interim management, the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) announced in late May that it had handed over control of Bank Asya to the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) in what many political commentators consider a politically motivated move.

Bank Asya was founded by sympathizers of the faith-based Gülen movement, also known as the Hizmet movement — a civil society initiative inspired by Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen.

Gülen has been accused of being the leader of a hidden structure within the government which, according to many in the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), attempted to launch a coup against the government when sweeping bribery investigations implicated several Cabinet ministers in 2013. The movement has strongly denied the accusations.

Global rating agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has last week confirmed that the seizure of Islamic lender Bank Asya is an example of the severity of political risks in Turkey, which could affect the country’s whole financial system.

Source: Today's Zaman , July 19, 2015

Tags: | | | |


Related News

Not appearing in the worst selfie in history

For a while now, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been busy with shutting down Turkish schools — affiliated with the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by the teachings of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen — in 160 countries which were opened thanks to the small contributions and tears of the people of this country.

Gülen’s lawyer: Systemic, illegal wiretaps taking place in Turkey over last six months

After “lies” and “defamatory statements” about Gülen surfaced in the media once new recordings were leaked on the Internet, lawyer Nurullah Albayrak said in a written statement that Gülen’s phone calls had been illegally wiretapped.

Turkish prosecutor says Gülen movement founded by CIA!

A Turkish prosecutor in İzmir, investigating the financial links of the Gülen movement, which is inspired by the views of US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, has claimed that the organizational structure of the group is the same as that of the Mormon Church and the Church of Scientology in the United States and that all three groups were founded by US intelligence agency the CIA.

‘I like the vitality of the participation and the vitality of hospitality within the Hizmet Movement’

I believe, certainly in the United States as I’m experiencing the Hizmet Movement, I’m experiencing extraordinary hospitality, a great warmth of people, a genuine spirit, an openness, a compassionate style.

The Islamic roots of the conflict in Turkey

he roots of the Gülen movement go back to Said Nursi (1878-1960), a preacher from Eastern Anatolia whose teachings (the Nurcu movement) emphasized the compatibility of Islam with rationalism, science and positivism. Nursi’s main contribution to Islam was a 6,000-page commentary he wrote on the Quran. This body of work is known as the “Risale-i Nur” (The Light Collection) and advocates the teaching of modern sciences in religious schools as the way of the future for an Islamic age of enlightenment.

Sending Fethullah Gulen to Turkey would be a national disgrace

Is Gulen one of the good guys or the bad guys? I have no idea, but that’s seriously not the point here. The cleric has been granted permanent resident alien status and now resides in Pennsylvania. As such, he’s “our problem” now and is entitled to a fair shake. …any plan to ship Gulen to Turkey would be a national disgrace.

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Saudi journalist with links to king visits Erdogan rival Gulen

Outcome of Dakar Conference on Hizmet Movement

Leak deepens AKP-Gulen rift

Civil death: Amnesty report on social upheaval caused by Turkey’s purge of public servants

Nine decades later, Hizmet gives back to Karachi

Nigeria’s House of Representatives wants Turkey to know that Nigerian lives matter

Are Turkey’s torture chambers back?

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News