Erdogan Post-Coup Purge Claims First Finance Industry Victim
- Capital Markets Board files criminal complaint for report
- Ak Investment strategist accused of insulting Turkish leader
Turkey Extends Crackdown on Dissent to Coup Analysis
The head of research at one of Turkey’s largest brokerages was stripped of his professional license and is facing criminal charges over a report analyzing the impact of the July 15 coup attempt, marking an extension of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s crackdown to the nation’s private financial sector.
The Capital Markets Board published the decision in its bulletin on Wednesday, saying the strategist, Mert Ulker, failed to “fulfill his responsibilities” in the preparation and publication of a July 18 report produced by Ak Investment, the brokerage arm of Turkey’s second-largest bank. Ulker also faces charges under articles 299 and 301 of the penal code, which make insulting Turkey’s president, the nation or its institutions a crime. The CMB license is required to work in capital markets in Turkey. The statement didn’t say whether Ak Investment’s status was affected.