Turkey detains 5 in probe of FETÖ infiltration of MASAK financial intelligence system

September 25, 2026 at 11:11 AM2 min

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Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that an Istanbul-led investigation into political and military espionage has uncovered FETÖ-linked infiltration of MASAK's EMİS financial intelligence system. Five suspects were detained in operations across Istanbul and Ankara, while arrest warrants were issued for 16 others abroad. The probe found that the PEP protection system was disabled and queries were run on President Erdoğan, his relatives, and some ministers.

Key Facts

Five suspects were detained in Istanbul and Ankara, and arrest warrants were issued for 16 others abroad.
The EMİS software was developed by AGMLAB A.Ş. from 2012, with ownership and management links to MRD A.Ş. and Barış Ata A.Ş., the latter closed by decree 667.
The PEP protection system in EMİS was disabled, and queries were run on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his relatives, and some ministers.
Two companies were placed under trusteeship, and three former MASAK presidents will be called to testify.
Admin user log records that would allow retrospective auditing were not kept, and some data fields may have been deleted later.

Investigation Findings

The investigation found that between 2012 and 2018, individuals and companies linked to FETÖ/PDY's clandestine structure were influential in developing and maintaining MASAK's critical digital infrastructure. EMİS software was developed by AGMLAB A.Ş. starting in 2012, and the company had ownership and management ties to MRD A.Ş. and Barış Ata A.Ş., the latter closed under decree 667. Some partners of these companies held senior roles in FETÖ/PDY's military and IT clandestine structures, including the Navy, defense industry, and Gendarmerie. A significant portion of these individuals left Turkey just before or immediately after the July 15 coup attempt.

System Security Breaches

Technical examinations of EMİS revealed that the protection system for the Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) list was disabled. After the protection was disabled, queries were run on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his relatives, and some ministers. Investigators found suspicious situations regarding the integrity of some records and technical evidence that some data fields may have been deleted later. Log records that would allow retrospective auditing of admin user actions were not kept.

Detentions and Legal Actions

Operations in Istanbul and Ankara led to legal action against 22 people, including a former MASAK deputy chairman. Five suspects were detained, and arrest warrants were issued for 16 suspects determined to be abroad. Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced that two companies were placed under trusteeship and three former MASAK presidents will be called to testify.