PodcastMain opposition leader: Erdoğan's two children directly involved in transfer of funds to US
In a new series of revelations, Turkey's main opposition CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said that President Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan and daughter Esra Albayrak were directly involved in the transfer of large sums of money from Turkey to the U.S. as part of a scheme to settle there if the ruling AKP loses the upcoming elections.
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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on May 27 claimed that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's son Bilal Erdoğan and his daughter Esra Albayrak were directly involved in the transfer of large sums of money to the United States for the family to flee there should the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lose the upcoming elections.
"Your son Bilal Erdoğan is the one who has the money transferred through these foundations. On the other hand, your daughter Esra Albayrak is on the receiving end of the money," Kılıçdaroğlu said in a tweet.
Bu vakıflar üzerinden paraları transfer ettiren, oğlun Bilal Erdoğan. Parayı alan tarafta ise kızın Esra Albayrak var. Kardeş kardeş vakıflar yönetiyorlar, para transfer ediyorlar birbirlerine. TURKEN paravan bir vakıftır, amacı ABD’ye servet ve insan transferidir.
— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) May 27, 2022
Earlier this week, Kılıçdaroğlu said that President Erdoğan and his family members have been transferring money to the U.S. through the pro-government foundations TÜRGEV and Ensar as part of a plan to flee Turkey if the government changes hands in the 2023 general elections. Afterwards, the CHP shared some documents detailing the money transactions from TÜRGEV and Ensar to Türken Foundation, a New York-based foundation that is known to be run by people close to Erdoğan.
On May 27, in a new series of tweets, Kılıçdaroğlu went further with his claims, by saying that the fund transfers were directly managed by Erdoğan's two children Bilal Erdoğan and Esra Albayrak.
"They [Bilal Erdoğan and Esra Albayrak] manage foundations together as siblings, transfer money to each other. Türken is a front foundation, its purpose is to transfer wealth and people to the U.S.," Kılıçdaroğlu said.
On the other hand, President Erdoğan and many figures from the AKP claimed that these foundations are building dormitories for students in the U.S.
In response, Kılıçdaroğlu said: "They are allegedly building a dormitory. Where are they building the huge plaza? In Manhattan, in the most expensive financial center of the U.S. Who will own this ultra-luxurious financial center building when it's finished? Will it belong to Turkey or to the front foundation? Who does this foundation belong to, Erdoğan?"