Top UK court drops all claims of FETO-linked businessman against Turkish Deposit Insurance Fund

By Elif Ferhan Yesilyurt

ISTANBUL (AA) - Britain's Supreme Court has rejected all allegations leveled against the Turkish Deposit Insurance Fund (SDIF) by Akin Ipek, a businessman with links to the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the failed 2016 coup attempt in Türkiye.

In a statement released on Friday, the court confirmed the jurisdiction of SDIF trustees in the ownership and control of Koza Ltd, a UK-based private company wholly owned by Koza Altin, the publicly-listed Turkish conglomerate that Ipek used to head as CEO.

Koza Altin is currently run by trustees appointed by Türkiye after a court ordered its seizure from Ipek, a prominent member of FETO.

Ankara accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary. Its coup attempt on July 15, 2016, left 251 killed and 2,734 wounded.

The SDIF said the critical case was won in London after New York and Paris in the last year.

Ipek was last seen in London and in 2018, a UK court rejected a request by Türkiye for his extradition.