The Sarıgül Dossier: An €80 Million Agreement, a €1 Billion Promise

The record

Six detention orders, five people detained

On Friday 16 October, financial-crime officers took journalist Murat Ağırel from his home to Istanbul police headquarters. Morning reports said that Aylin Kotil, Mustafa Sarıgül’s former wife, his son Ömer Sarıgül, Volkan Aslanbaş and former banker Cavidan Tanrah Artuner had also been detained. The sixth order concerns Emir Sarıgül; his father said he would surrender to police. [1] [2]

According to the prosecutor’s statement carried by the press, the inquiry concerns allegations that large sums of unclear origin were laundered through companies in Türkiye and abroad. The detention orders followed an assessment of the complainants’ accounts, audio and video recordings they supplied, and evidence obtained in the investigation. The investigation continues. [3]

Three amounts

The complainants are two German nationals identified as K.P. and M.B. Their allegations centre on three amounts. These are claims made by the complainants, not final judicial findings. [2]

The journalist in the dossier

One of the most striking names is Murat Ağırel. When detained, he had been under house arrest since 10 October in connection with his reporting on an investment-fund investigation. The complainants say they gave him documents and were threatened after information was passed to the relevant parties. The statement reproduced in the press does not detail the specific conduct attributed to Ağırel personally. [1] [3]

According to Timur Soykan’s account cited in The Ledgers bulletin, Ağırel sought documents, spoke to the family’s lawyer and held the story because he considered the material insufficient. Mustafa Sarıgül also said that Ağırel became involved solely to report the story and published nothing. [1]

Mustafa Sarıgül’s response

Mustafa Sarıgül was not detained. Allegations concerning the Erzincan member of parliament are to be referred to Ankara prosecutors for separate consideration. [2]

In his written response, Sarıgül characterised the matter as a commercial dispute linked to Germany, denied the allegations against his family and said they would submit information and documents to the authorities. He stressed that nobody should be considered guilty without a final conviction. His response must be considered alongside the allegations. [1]

What The Ledgers is examining

Our research desk has been working on the Sarıgül dossier for weeks. The material was submitted for review through the Master Crook Nominee process. Bank receipts, contracts, audio recordings and videos are being examined line by line. Submission of a dossier does not establish that its allegations are true or that a crime has been proved. [1]

Those named will be given an opportunity to respond. Findings we can verify will be published with their supporting material and the parties’ responses. This publication is the first bulletin and teaser for an ongoing special investigation.

Coming soon in The Ledgers.

Do you have documents?

If you have information or documents about this case, contact The Ledgers research desk.

Everyone named benefits from the presumption of innocence. An investigation is not a conviction; the allegations reported here have not been established by a final judgment.

Based on reporting from: The Ledgers · Sarıgül research bulletin · 16 October 2026; DHA · 16 October 2026; Medyascope · Prosecutor’s statement · 16 October 2026.