Turkey Jails Former Deputy Agriculture Minister Over Fund Scandal
An İstanbul court on Monday jailed Mustafa Aksu, former deputy agriculture and forestry minister, pending trial as part of an investigation into an investment fund scandal in Turkey, according to the Sözcü daily.
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Aksu's assets, along with those of his wife, were also seized. He served as a deputy minister from 2018 to 2021 and previously held positions within President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
Aksu had invested approximately 100 million lira ($2 million) in a fund managed by Tera Portfolio Management on September 10, as he shared with Cumhuriyet columnist Barış Terkoğlu. He expressed that he was unable to withdraw the funds and considered himself a victim of the crisis.
"The issue is not 100 million, but being deceived," he stated.
During the court proceedings, Aksu claimed that he invested in shares independently, generally incurred losses, and did not trade based on anyone else's instructions, as reported by BirGün daily.
The report did not elaborate on the specific offenses for which Aksu is under investigation.