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Remzi Sanver, the grand master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Türkiye and former rector of Istanbul Bilgi University, was formally arrested Tuesday on money laundering charges as part of the widening Can Holding investigation, authorities said.
Sanver’s arrest—following his detention last Friday during coordinated raids across four provinces—drew widespread attention due to his prominence as both an academic and public figure. Born in 1980 in Istanbul’s Fatih district, Sanver is a professor of economics and a former secretary-general and spokesperson for Galatasaray Sports Club’s board of directors. He served as Bilgi University rector between 2011 and 2015, and his arrest is believed to be tied to alleged financial irregularities during that period.
Also arrested was Kenan Tekdag, chairman of Can Publishing Holding, alongside several other business executives.
The latest round of operations, led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and carried out by the Istanbul Gendarmerie Command’s Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department (KOM), targeted sites in Istanbul, Mersin, Igdir, and İzmir.
Prosecutors said the investigation focuses on “establishing and leading a criminal organization,” “membership in a criminal organization,” “money laundering,” and “qualified fraud.”
Following the completion of interrogations, 11 suspects were ordered arrested by the Criminal Court of Peace, while 11 others were placed under judicial control with travel bans and signature requirements. Three individuals were placed under house arrest.
Among those arrested were Mehmet Remzi Sanver, Mehmet Kenan Tekdag, Mehmet Sıddık Kaya, Emin Sahin, Nuh Zafer Metin, and Nurettin Paksoy.
The court also imposed judicial control measures on Cengiz and Arafat Bingol, chairmen of Binsat Holding, and on Betul Can and Zuhal Can, wives of Can Holding owners Sakir Can and Murat Can.
Authorities said three suspects remain abroad and six others are fugitives. Searches at company headquarters and private residences uncovered digital materials, financial documents, and accounting records.
According to the Kucukcekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, senior executives at Can Holding are accused of running a criminal network to commit qualified fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.
The investigation—launched after reports by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK)—alleges that large sums of untraceable money were funneled into Can Holding subsidiaries, circulated among shell companies to disguise their origins, and reintroduced into company accounts through Türkiye’s Asset Peace Law (Law No. 7256).
Prosecutors say the scheme effectively laundered illicit proceeds by classifying them as legal reinvestments.
The organization, allegedly led by Kemal Can and Mehmet Sakir Can, is accused of creating overlapping companies to confuse oversight mechanisms and frequently changing boards of directors to evade legal accountability.
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Authorities have seized assets belonging to 121 companies, placing them under the trusteeship of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF). Among them are some of Türkiye’s most prominent media and education institutions, including Show TV, Bloomberg HT, Habertürk, HT Spor, Doga Okulları, Bilgi Doga Egitim Isletmeciligi, Enerji Petrol Urunleri Pazarlama, and Bosphorus Medya Group.
The probe also centers on a $350 million unregistered cash transfer allegedly tied to the December 2024 sale of Ciner Group’s media assets—including Show TV, Haberturk, Bloomberg HT, and HT Spor—to Can Holding.
The $800 million deal, approved by the Competition Authority, is now at the heart of one of Türkiye’s largest financial crime investigations.
According to MASAK, illicit profits from tax evasion, smuggling, and qualified fraud were reinvested in media, education, finance, and energy sectors to expand the organization’s influence and project public legitimacy.
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