A former Turkish cabinet member and high-ranking official within the ruling party has been taken into custody as part of a sweeping investigation into a massive, multi-billion-dollar investment fund scandal. Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, who previously served as the minister of family affairs from 2016 to 2018 and acted as a deputy chair for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP, faces serious charges including market law violations and involvement in a criminal organization. Her arrest follows her resignation from the party in late September, which came shortly after opposition lawmakers raised red flags regarding suspicious stock transactions allegedly tied to her and her husband.

The ongoing crisis, which surfaced in mid-September, has significantly shaken Turkey’s financial landscape, impacting the savings of nearly 500,000 investors. According to Justice Minister Akin Gurlek, authorities have dismantled a complex criminal network that reportedly compromised the integrity of the country’s financial markets. With over 112 individuals now held in detention pending trial, prosecutors are continuing their work to expose the full extent of the market manipulation and insider trading schemes that have left a heavy toll on the nation's financial stability.