18.08.2026 10:31
A massive investigation has been launched against illegal activities targeting public health, market order, and the state's tax revenues. It has been determined that some companies producing and trading starch-based sugar violated the quotas and domestic market sales restrictions set by the Sugar Law, and released products of a starch-based sugar nature that should not have been supplied to the domestic market. In the simultaneous investigation initiated in 8 provinces, searches were conducted at 25 companies, and 47 executives were summoned for testimony.
A massive operation has been launched against illegal activities targeting public health, market order, and the state's tax revenues. The operation, announced by Justice Minister Akın Gürlek, was carried out within the scope of the "Sugar Investigation" conducted under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau and within the Istanbul Provincial Police Department Financial Crimes Branch Directorate. In this context, search and seizure operations were carried out against 25 companies in a simultaneous investigation launched in 8 provinces, and 47 company executives were summoned for testimony.
THEY EXCEEDED THE QUOTA AND HID PRODUCT NAMES IN INVOICES
The operation was triggered by joint inspections by the Sugar Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Tax Inspection Board of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance. The inspections found that some companies producing and trading starch-based sugar (SBS) violated the quota and domestic market sales restrictions set by the Sugar Law.
The inspections revealed that products that should not have been put on the market were concealed by being invoiced under different names such as "maltodextrin," "glucose," "starch," and "fructose," and that there were significant discrepancies between the product on the invoice and the actual product delivered.
OPERATION AT 26 ADDRESSES IN 8 PROVINCES, 47 EXECUTIVES SUMMONED FOR TESTIMONY
Following the detected irregularities, teams took action; raids were conducted at a total of 26 addresses in Kocaeli, Sakarya, Ankara, Konya, Izmir, Gaziantep, and Adana, centered on Istanbul. While searches and document seizures were carried out at 25 companies under investigation, 47 suspects identified as company executives were summoned for testimony.
WHAT ARE THE CHARGES?
The scope of the investigation is being kept quite broad. Legal proceedings are being conducted against the suspects and companies on the following charges:
- Trade of adulterated or altered food or pharmaceuticals
- Tax evasion under the Tax Procedure Law
- Issuing or using misleading documents (fake/misleading invoices)
- Forgery of private documents
- Manipulating prices in the market
Minister Gürlek emphasized that no structure that endangers public health, causes tax losses to the state, or obtains unjust gains will be tolerated, and that the legal process will be pursued with determination.
ANNOUNCED BY MINISTER GÜRLEK
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek's statement is as follows:
"Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we continue to resolutely pursue all kinds of illegal activities that target the health of our citizens, the tax revenues of our state, and our economic order.
The strong coordination among all our relevant institutions, especially our Ministry of Justice, our Ministry of Interior, our Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and our Ministry of Treasury and Finance, is our most important strength in the fight against multi-dimensional crimes.
In this context, as a result of the inspections by the Sugar Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the examinations by the Tax Inspection Board, it has been determined that some companies engaged in the production and trade of starch-based sugar violated the quota and domestic market sales restrictions set by the Sugar Law and put products of a starch-based sugar nature, which should not be supplied to the domestic market, on the market.
The examinations also revealed that the true nature of some products was concealed by invoicing them under names such as "maltodextrin," "glucose," "starch," and "fructose," and that there were differences between the product shown on the invoice and the type of product actually delivered.
Based on these findings, which directly concern public health, consumer trust, and market order, simultaneous legal proceedings were initiated this morning within the scope of the "Sugar Investigation" conducted in coordination with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau and the Istanbul Provincial Police Department Financial Crimes Branch Directorate.
In 8 provinces centered on Istanbul; searches and document seizure operations were carried out against 25 companies at 26 addresses in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Ankara, Konya, Izmir, Gaziantep, and Adana; 47 suspects identified as company executives were summoned for testimony.
The investigation is being conducted thoroughly and meticulously with respect to the crimes of trade of adulterated or altered food or pharmaceuticals, tax evasion under the Tax Procedure Law, issuing or using misleading documents in terms of their content, forgery of private documents, and manipulating prices.
I would like to thank our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for conducting the investigation meticulously, our Istanbul Provincial Police Department for successfully carrying out the legal proceedings, our Sugar Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and our Tax Inspection Board of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance for their significant contributions to the investigation.
Whoever endangers public health, misleads our citizens, causes tax losses to our state, and attempts to obtain unlawful gains will be held accountable before the law."