13.10.2026 19:32
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş denied the allegation that her father Hasan Özdemir conducted transactions in the funds mentioned in the fund crisis. Göktaş, who said she confirmed that no such transaction was made with her father's Turkish ID number, reacted to Ümit Özlale and Özgür Özel. Göktaş, stating that she filed a criminal complaint, announced that she would invest the compensation she would receive in a support project for young people who are getting married.
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, reacting to the statements of YENİ Party General Chairman Özgür Özel, said, 'Özgür Özel has for two days been putting my father's name side by side with those notorious for bribery and corruption. He equates my father with the father of a defendant whose name appears in the İBB file, where bribery and corruption have become blatant, with so many files, information, documents, and confessors. Is such a thing acceptable?'
Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, on the NTV live broadcast, regarding what happened after the allegations that her father Hasan Özdemir conducted transactions in funds mentioned in the fund crisis were raised, said the following:
'Around 20:00 in the evening, one of our MPs sent me word. He said: 'I am in contact with him. I fear they are trying to splash the matter onto you, onto your father.' I said: 'Let them do their worst. Neither my father nor any member of my family has a single account or a single record in these funds.' 'They said they had evidence.' I said: 'Even if they produce their evidence, there is no such thing. Tell them, I said, it will blow up in their hands. Because there is no such evidence. There is a name similarity. It is not related to my family,' I said. Friends conveyed this to them. This process is not one learned at the last minute. Of course, it is an annoying situation because we are all witnessing the opposition's recent dirty politics. Slander, lies, defamation. I called my father and mother. I said: 'So tomorrow there could be such a thing about you. Please be at ease, do not be upset.' That night a few journalists also reached out. We told them before it was announced to the public that there was no such thing. I made all kinds of preparations, I prepared my statement alone. But even so, I called the SPK, the TMSF, and Borsa Istanbul. I said, 'If there is anyone else conducting transactions under the name Hasan Özdemir, can you give me the information?' They said, 'We cannot.' 'Why can't you? They are preparing something and maybe in an hour or two they will try to defame me.' 'We cannot. Because if we enter, log records appear. Therefore we cannot give you this information, but we can confirm whether it is your father or not,' they said. I gave my father's Turkish ID number. I learned that no such transaction was made with my father's Turkish ID number.
REACTION TO ÖZLALE: HE KNEW MY FATHER'S NAME WAS NOT THERE
So what happened afterwards? At exactly 15:00, Ümit Özlale made a live broadcast on the YENİ Party, presenting a file number and directly targeting me and my father. Do you know what I do? Through that file number, I reach the MKK. I ask, 'Please, can you tell me whose this file is?' Although I, as a minister of this country, do not have the information and documents in Ümit Özlale's possession and cannot access them, I could access only limited information through the file number he claimed and provided. I want to ask this: Ümit Özlale knew very well that my father's name was not there. So what was his aim? His aim was entirely to smear, it was dirty propaganda. Based on the information I received urgently, I confirmed the Turkish ID number from the police, and in accordance with the KVKK, I immediately denied the information, sharing the last two digits of the Turkish ID numbers. But this process took 40 minutes of my time. Look, there is neither an apology nor a hesitation, nothing. He himself had been subjected to a character assassination a few weeks earlier. He had a name verified. Look, we had no knowledge. What victimhood are you experiencing? And shamelessly he says: 'We caused the minister a few minutes of victimhood.' There is no sense of shame or honor. It is completely mudslinging politics. But we are used to this attitude of the opposition.
SHE WILL DEPOSIT THE COMPENSATION INTO THE SUPPORT PROJECT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WILL MARRY
Today Özgür Özel is making a statement. For days he has been kissing my father's hands and apologizing. Man, can such a thing be? Can a family be attacked this much? Can politics be done this cheaply? It has been five days, neither a resignation nor an apology. In such an event, I immediately filed a criminal complaint, and when we receive our compensation, God willing, I will deposit it into the Family and Youth Fund, into the support project for our young people who will marry. Özgür Özel has for two days been putting my father's name side by side with those notorious for bribery and corruption. Bribery and corruption have become blatant. He equates my father with the father of a defendant whose name appears in the İBB file, which has so many files, information, documents, and confessors. Is such a thing acceptable? Then let us also go out every day and slander someone. Politics cannot be conducted this comfortably. Therefore, I will not let the matter drop and I will definitely hold this to account before the law sooner or later. I want to ask Ümit Özlale this: Who gave you this information and these documents? How did you access these files that I, as a minister, could not access?
EXISTING ACCOUNTS WILL BE VERIFIED BY MARCH 31, 2027
Göktaş also spoke as follows regarding the ban on social media for those under 15:
'Our aim is to protect our children from the risks and negative aspects of the digital world, and to empower them. Look, we are not saying the internet. But at the same time, the areas we call social media, especially the social media platforms that our children enter with their own identities. No service can be provided to children under 15. We have introduced an additional article to the regulation. Existing accounts will be verified by March 31, 2027. There will be a gradual time transition. As of November 1, all new accounts, and by March 31, 2027, all existing accounts will go through verification. Including your account and mine. We have established an e-Government integration system; in particular, no service can be provided to children who have not completed 15 years of age. For our children between the ages of 15-18, a differentiated, service-specific service will be provided. In content and services, the child's age and best interests will be observed. We are creating a structure that will protect them physically, mentally, developmentally, psychologically, socially and emotionally. We especially prevent the risks of sexual abuse and commercial exploitation. Children, for example, will only be able to receive messages from the accounts they follow, and the accounts will be private. They will not be able to open live broadcasts. Other users will not be able to see their follower and following lists. This system is actually a completely Turkey-specific system. Our aim is to provide a digital environment where each of our children is safe.'