12.11.2026 09:30
After Şahap Kavcıoğlu, Head of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), requested to be relieved of his duties, the post shared by AK Party Bursa Deputy Mustafa Varank attracted attention. Following Varank's remarks, which targeted Şahap Kavcıoğlu and Borsa İstanbul Board Chairman Erişah Arıcan without naming them, it raised the question of whether Arıcan would also leave his post.
Developments continue regarding senior figures leaving their posts in the fund investigation that Turkey has been closely following. Most recently, the fact that Şahap Kavcıoğlu, Chairman of the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK), asked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to relieve him of his duty has turned attention to the banking and finance bureaucracy. After Kavcıoğlu's decision, a post by former Minister of Industry and Technology and AK Party Bursa MP Mustafa Varank ignited a new debate.
THE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST KAVCIOĞLU HAD DRAWN ATTENTION Former AK Party MKYK member Savcı Sayan, in his statements about the fund investigation, had targeted BDDK Chairman Şahap Kavcıoğlu. Sayan had alleged that Kavcıoğlu asked businessman Emre Tezmen for 20 billion TL in order to save Pusula Holding and Katılımevim, and in return promised that a 35 billion TL loan would be provided through Takasbank.
Sayan also argued that the roles and assets of some politicians and bureaucrats in the process should be investigated. There is no final judicial ruling regarding the allegations in question.
ŞAMİL TAYYAR: THE OTHER NAME WILL ALSO ASK TO BE RELIEVED SOON After Kavcıoğlu asked to be relieved of his duty, former AK Party MP Şamil Tayyar also made a striking statement. Arguing that the decision was taken upon President Erdoğan's instruction, Tayyar stated that he expected another senior figure to leave his post.
Tayyar used the following expressions in his statement:
"BDDK Chairman Şahap Kavcıoğlu asked to be relieved of his duty. We know that the 'relief' request came to the agenda upon our President's instruction. This was what should have happened for the sake of the investigation. If you remember, I spoke of two 'critical' names to be removed, a short while ago. One was Kavcıoğlu, it happened. I hope the other name will also ask to be relieved soon. We have stated repeatedly, our President is cutting deeper."
A STRIKING POST FROM MUSTAFA VARANK After Kavcıoğlu's statement, AK Party Bursa MP Mustafa Varank also published a message on his social media account. In his post, in which he did not directly mention the name of any bureaucrat, Varank made a reference to journalists İsmail Saymaz and Güler Kömürcü.
Varank used the following expressions:
"Do you know what people are still surprised by? That those with responsibility think they can escape responsibility by using opposition figures like İsmail Saymaz and Gülay Kömürcü as a music box... They think Turkey is governed by looking at social media and newspaper columns."
EYES TURNED TO ERİŞAH ARICAN Varank's mention of the two journalists' names in his post led to a reassessment of articles previously written about the fund investigation. İsmail Saymaz's message received from Kavcıoğlu and Güler Kömürcü's articles arguing that Borsa Istanbul Board of Directors Chairman and Turkey Wealth Fund Board of Directors Deputy Chairman Erişah Arıcan bears no responsibility drew attention.
Erişah Arıcan Since Varank did not directly mention Arıcan's name in his post, it remains unclear whom his words target, while it is wondered whether Arıcan will leave her post.