Koza İpek Holding

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Koza İpek Holding A.Ş.
Industry mining, publishing, broadcasting
Founded 1948
Headquarters Turkey
Area served
 Turkey
Key people
 Akın İpek
Website kozaipekholding.com

Koza İpek Holding is a Turkish conglomerate. It includes the mining companies Koza Altın and Koza Anadolu (Koza Anadolu Metal Madencilik Isletmeleri AS, quoted as KOZAA[1]). Koza Davetiye is a marketing arm for its print business. Media assets (via Koza İpek Gazetecilik ve Yayıncılık A.Ş.) include the widely read Bugün newspaper, the smaller Millet daily, and two TV / radio stations, Bugün TV and Kanaltürk TV, the latter one having been bought by the holding in 2008.[2]

The company was founded by Ali İpek in 1948 with the Ipek Printery Company, Ipek Matbaacilik Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S..[3] It is considered to be associated to the network of followers of the Turkish U.S.-based preacher Fethullah Gülen.[4] Since 2002, the Gülen network and its associated media were staunch supporters of the conservative AKP-Government, with a rift opening in 2013.[5]

Seizure

On 1 September 2015, police raided more than 20 media outlets of Koza İpek Holding, including the Ankara office of Bugün newspaper which on that day had titled with photo-backed accusations of weapon supply to Islamic State militants at the Turkish border town of Akçakale. In an ongoing process against Koza İpek's chairman Akin Ipek and other personnel of the holding, the company was accused of “giving financial support to the "Fetullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ)" and conducting its propaganda.”[6]

Following a court order, the company on 26 October 2015 was placed under a panel of trustees that includes former managers from pro-government Turkuvaz Media Group. Only days ahead of the November 1 general elections, the opposition perceived the seizure of the holding as a move to intimidate media and silence voices critical of the AKP. CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu said democracy and law were suspended if a prosecutor was able to seize a corporation without any court ruling.[7]

On 28 October 2015 Turkish police stormed the headquarters of Koza-Ipek media group in Istanbul, firing tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters outside the offices. The police raid was linked to an investigation into the group on suspicion on "terror financing" and "terror propaganda", Ankara's chief prosecutor's office said in a statement. European Parliament President Martin Schulz tweeted that he was "deeply concerned" about the raid.[8]

References

  1. ↑ Reuters, KOZAA.IS
  2. ↑ Hurriyet Daily News, 2008, Turkey's Koza Davetiye buys broadcaster Kanalturk
  3. ↑ Koza İpek Holding, We began to work for the happiest day of your life...
  4. ↑ Bloomberg, 2015, [1]
  5. ↑ Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2013, Turkey’s Gülen Movement: Between Social Activism and Politics
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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