The story of Fethullahist sleeper cells in the Finance Ministry

Let me explain the "first conspiracy" in the simplest terms possible. It was the precursor of the greatest conspiracy in Turkey's recent history.   

Doğan Publishing Holding, at the end of 2006, sold 25 percent of Doğan TV's shares to Germany's Axel Springer for 375 million euros (nearly $500 million). The deal was signed on Dec. 26, 2006. 

It was Christmas in Germany so banks were closed and the buyer could not transfer the money to Turkey.

The transaction was conducted eight days later, on Jan. 2, 2007. 

The tax due from this sale was around 30 million Turkish Liras. Tax payments are made in three-month periods, so if the transaction was finalized by the end of December, taxes should have been paid by the end of the first quarter of 2007. But the sale was officially conducted on Jan. 2, 2007, so the tax payment was due in the second quarter and it was paid in May. The eight-day delay postponed the tax payment for three months.

After two years, "a sleeper cell" inside the Finance Ministry awakened. Three tax inspectors from the ministry levied 1.174 billion liras in tax fines on the Doğan Group in February 2009.

The justification claimed that the tax should have been paid based on the Dec. 26, 2006 date, when the agreement was reached, not based on the official sale date of Jan. 2, 2007. The tax was paid and there was no change in the tax amount. In a worst-case scenario, this tax dispute could have been finalized with a three-month interest for late payment, amounting to 1.2 million liras. 

The Doğan Group took the issue to court, which decided it was an unjust fine. The Council of State (Danıştay) approved the ruling. So in other words the High Court agreed this was unjust. 

One of the three...