Foreign Ministry denies baseless allegations from Turkish Cypriot media, vows legal action
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan attends the "Antalya Ministerial Meeting for a Two-State Solution and Lasting Peace in the Middle East" at the Cornelia Diamond Hotel in Antalya, Türkiye on April 11, 2025. (AA Photo)
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly rejected allegations made by a Turkish Cypriot media outlet based in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), describing the claims against the ministry and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as completely unfounded.
The allegations against our ministry and H.E. Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, published by a media outlet based in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, are entirely without merit. Legal action will be taken against these groundless claims, which are unsupported by any concrete evidence.
Statement from Turkish Foreign Ministry
The spread of such fabrications by certain groups, aimed at undermining the credibility of state institutions and damaging the reputations of individuals, is highly irresponsible.
This systematic defamation campaign, based on irrational and illogical fabrications, should be disregarded.
Background of allegations
The ministry’s response follows comments made by Ozgur Ozel, leader of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), who brought up several allegations during his party’s group meeting.
Ozel referenced claims about Yasin Ekrem Serim, the former Ambassador of Türkiye to Nicosia Yasin Ekrem Serim, and his alleged connections with organized crime figures, particularly the late mafia boss Halil Falyali.
Ozel also accused several senior political figures, including Fidan, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, and others, of being involved in financial misconduct over the past decade.
He claimed that this network of individuals from Türkiye’s political elite had been engaged in illicit activities. Ozel did not present credible evidence for his allegations, and apparently, his only source is a Bugun Kibris daily report based on one TRNC-based criminal’s remarks.
The ministry firmly rejected the allegations, stating that there is no credible evidence to support any of the claims. The statement stressed that such unfounded narratives only serve to undermine the credibility of state institutions and the reputations of individuals, and should not be taken seriously.
The ministry has announced its intention to pursue legal action against those responsible for spreading what it calls a “systematic smear campaign.”
