President Erdo?an justifies appointment of a board of trustees to Koza-?pek group

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has seemingly justified the appointment of a trustee board to manage the Koza-?pek group, 23 companies of which have been seized by a local court as part of a crackdown on followers of the government's ally-turned-nemesis Fethullah Gülen.

"There are different things behind the support lent [to the group]," Erdo?an said late on Oct. 28. "The reason for appointment of a trustee should be thoroughly deliberated because its number one is on the run," he said in a live interview with Kanal 24 news channel.

As Ak?n ?pek, CEO of the Koza-?pek group, suggested there was no irregular transfer of money abroad, Erdo?an asked why he was on the run. 

"I hope the Turkish judiciary will have a fair decision," he said, adding that his office had some information on the issue, but the judiciary had their own information. 

Riot police firing tear gas and water cannons stormed two opposition-linked Turkish television stations and forced them off the air on Oct. 28.

Police in riot helmets were acting on a controversial court ruling ordering the seizure of companies belonging to the Koza-?pek conglomerate linked to former preacher Gülen, who is now in a self-imposed exile in the U.S.                        

An Ankara court on Oct. 26 appointed a board of trustees to manage the Koza-Ipek group, seizing its 23 companies as part of a crackdown on Gülen followers.

The Ankara chief prosecutor's office said the seizure was linked to an investigation into the conglomerate on suspicion of "terror financing," "terror propaganda" and other offences related to Koza-Ipek's support for Gülen's Hizmet (Service) movement.

Koza-?pek CEO Akin ?pek denounced the move as "politically motivated,"...