06.09.2026 15:40
Businessman Selman Resitoglu was arrested as part of a drug and prostitution investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. After news outlets used photos of Resitoglu previously taken with Mehmet Simsek, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance issued a statement, saying Simsek has no personal or commercial relationship with the individual in question and noting that legal rights are reserved against misleading publications.
The Ministry of Treasury and Finance made a written statement after photos of Selman Reşitoğlu, who was arrested as part of an investigation reflected in the public, and Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, taken together in the past, were reused.
Reşitoğlu had previously attracted public attention with his posts about his luxurious lifestyle and public tenders he received through his family company. Photos of Reşitoğlu with Mehmet Şimşek taken on a private jet and at a venue in London had also been a topic of debate previously.
In his previous statement regarding the said photos, Şimşek said, 'They were taken in London and Batman during a period when I was not serving as a minister. I have no commercial partnership with that person.'
OLD PHOTOS USED IN INVESTIGATION NEWS
In news appearing in some media outlets today, it was stated that Selman Reşitoğlu was also arrested within the scope of a drug and prostitution investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
After photos of Reşitoğlu and Mehmet Şimşek taken in the past were used in the news, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance made a statement and reacted to the situation.
"AN EFFORT TO CREATE A MISLEADING PERCEPTION"
The Ministry stated that news about a person within the scope of the investigation was published along with a photo taken during a period when Şimşek was not a minister, saying:
"This approach is clearly an effort to create a misleading perception in the public. As has been stated many times before, our Minister has no personal or commercial relationship with the said person."
MESSAGE OF LEGAL ACTION
In the statement, which also reacted to the continued use of the same photos, it was argued that this creates the impression of a false connection between Minister Şimşek and the said person.
In the Ministry's statement, it was said, "Despite this, the persistent use of the same photo is aimed at creating an impression of a false relationship and connection in the public. Our legal rights are reserved against such misleading publications."