18.08.2026 11:51
The list of 25 companies searched and the company executives summoned for testimony in the massive sugar investigation conducted across 8 provinces centered on Istanbul has emerged. It was seen that famous brands were also on the list.
Within the scope of the “Sugar Investigation” numbered 2026/79152, conducted by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a massive judicial process closely concerning the food industry and public health has been initiated.
Based on the inspection report dated August 27, 2024, of the Sugar Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the examination reports dated April 17, 2026, of the Tax Inspection Board of the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, simultaneous search and seizure operations were carried out against 25 companies in 8 provinces, centered in Istanbul.
47 suspects, including executives of the sector's leading producers and food giants, have been summoned for testimony.
THEY HID THE COUNTERFEITING IN INVOICES
According to the findings and assessments reported by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office; in the calendar years 2022, 2023, and 2024, some producer, wholesaler, and user companies engaged in the production and trade of starch-based sugar (SBS) violated the legal quotas and domestic market sales restrictions set by Sugar Law No. 4634.
It was determined that excess quota starch-based sugar, which should not legally be supplied to the domestic market, was released into the market through intermediary companies.
The examinations also revealed that, to conceal this unregistered trade, the products in question were invoiced under different names from their actual nature, such as “maltodextrin,” “glucose,” “starch,” and “fructose,” with significant discrepancies found between the product type on the invoice and the products actually delivered.
OPERATION AGAINST MARKET GIANTS
In the operation centered in Istanbul and covering the provinces of Kocaeli, Sakarya, Ankara, Konya, Izmir, Gaziantep, and Adana, as of August 18, 2026, searches and document seizures were carried out at 25 companies assessed to have produced, used, or wholesaled unregistered or excess quota SBS.
Within the scope of the investigation, 47 suspects, including executives of leading sector companies such as Tat Nişasta, Sunar Mısır, Omnia Nişasta, Seyidoğlu Gıda, Kervan Gıda, Nurs Lokman Hekim, and Ak Nişasta, were summoned for testimony.
CHARGES AND JUSTIFICATIONS
In the investigation file, it was emphasized that excessive consumption of starch-based sugars with high fructose content during childhood paves the way for numerous chronic diseases, especially obesity and hypertension. It was stated that unregistered and excess quota production seriously threatens public health.
The charges directed at the suspects are as follows:
"Trade of Spoiled or Altered Food or Medicines (Crimes against public health)
Tax Evasion and Issuing/Using False/Misleading Documents (Article 359 of Tax Procedural Law No. 213)
Forgery in Private Documents (Article 207 of the Turkish Penal Code)
Influencing Prices / Market Manipulation (Article 237 of the Turkish Penal Code)
Judicial proceedings against the suspects, who endanger public health, cause tax losses to the state, and disrupt free market conditions, are being meticulously continued.
HERE IS THE FULL LIST, NAME BY NAME
The names summoned for testimony and their respective companies are as follows:
Mehmet Göksu – Seyidoğlu Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
İbrahim Hakkı Eroğlu – Beylerbeyi Lokum Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Sabahattin Yılmaz – Nurs Lokman Hekim Gıda Tarım Bitki ve Botanik Medikal San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti.
Mustafa Kemal Özdoğru – Uğurlu Helva Tahin Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Gökdağ Karakaya – Saf Naturel Bal Gıda Pazarlama Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Cumhur Yıldız – Hastürk Gıda Otomotiv İnşaat Emlak Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Süleyman Kurşun – Suluca Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Sedat Aydın – Seyyidler Otomotiv Gıda İnşaat Dayanıklı Tüketim Malları Emlakçılık San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti.
Cem Özakgül – Hasal Tarım Ürünleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Tahir Uğur Temizer – Natura Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Ömer Faruk Balçık – Özdey Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Mikail Aktaş – Aktaşlar Et Gıda ve Hayvancılık Sanayi Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Mehmet Emin Hafif – Beşan Nişasta Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Ahmet Eviz – Ak Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Hamit Tezcan – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Mustafa Nuri Çomu – Chairman of the Board of Sunar Mısır Entegre Tesisleri Sanayii ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Kadir Korhan Şule – Gsf Gıda Sanayi Fabrikaları Üretim Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Halil Kurt – Chairman of the Board of Artı Endüstriyel Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Murat Çomu – Emelce Gıda Tarım İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Cemil Hafif – Anadolu Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Ergün Çakıt – Kervan Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Mustafa Küçükmeral – Küçükmeral Gıda İnşaat Tarım Ürünleri Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Eray Kıratlı – Gaziantep Pazarlama ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti. Murat Altun – Sugabee Şekerleme Gıda İnşaat Sanayi İç ve Dış Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Mehmet Yiğiter – Karamehmetler Gıda ve İhtiyaç Maddeleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. Şti.
Eyyüp Bulut – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Hasan Demircioğlu – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Mehmet Tezcan – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Nihat Ceylan – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş. / Sunar Mısır Entegre Tesisleri Sanayii ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Nuh Demircioğlu – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Osman Filik – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Süleyman Kökcü – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Yaşar Duran Karaörs – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Yusuf Adamhasan – Tat Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Zeki Köse – Omnia Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Bülent Uzel – Omnia Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Murat Birinç – Omnia Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Osman Oksal – Omnia Nişasta Sanayi ve Ticaret A. Ş.
Ebubekir Çallı – Çallı Gıda
Mehmet Hilmi Horasanlı – Yeşiller Gıda
Emre Civelek – İşmen Gıda Ali Aslanali – Hansin Gıda
Yusuf Arslan – Yedi Ka Gıda
Mustafa Öztürk – Hmz Gıda
Metal Dursun Yurtseven – Yeşil Rize Gıda
Şemsi Kopuz – Şms Kopuz Gıda
İsmail Ağaoğlu – Remzi Çakar Gıda
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