Rift Within the Ranks: AKP Faces Internal Revolt Over “Asset Seizure” Law — Pro-Government Daily and Party Veteran Break Silence

Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) is facing an unprecedented internal clash after the country’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), under the Ministry of Treasury and Finance, publicly defended a controversial draft bill that would allow prosecutors to seize private assets without a court order or prior financial report.

The move comes even before the proposal has been formally submitted to parliament — a first in Turkish administrative history — and has drawn fierce criticism from both pro-government media and prominent AKP figures.

Pro-Government Daily Turns on the Government

The Islamist-leaning daily Yeni Şafak, long regarded as one of the staunchest supporters of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stunned observers on October 24 with its front-page headline:
“A Threat to Property Rights: Prosecutors Given Power to ‘Seize First, Investigate Later’.”

The paper accused the government of violating constitutional and universal legal principles, warning that the proposed change to Article 128 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CMK) could erode judicial oversight and pave the way for arbitrary confiscation of private property.

Yeni Şafak wrote:

“Granting prosecutors the power to seize assets without a court order could lead to irreversible consequences. The existing rule requiring a MASAK report was designed to protect the presumption of innocence. Removing that safeguard would amount to de facto punishment without trial.”

The unusually sharp language marked a rare public challenge from within the government’s own media ecosystem.

MASAK Confirms and Defends the Proposal

Hours after Yeni Şafak’s story went viral, the Ministry of Treasury and Finance posted a statement from MASAK on its official X (Twitter) account confirming the existence of the draft.

The statement read:

“The draft prepared by the Ministry of Justice, in consultation with our agency and other institutions, grants prosecutors authority to seize assets without prior reports only in cases of aggravated fraud, qualified theft, and credit/bank card misuse. The aim is to ensure swift intervention in financial crimes, especially those committed online.”

MASAK insisted that citizens’ property rights would not be subject to arbitrary interference, though observers noted that the agency’s open defense of an unratified draft law was highly irregular.

AKP Veteran Şamil Tayyar Joins the Criticism

Adding to the internal rift, former AKP lawmaker Şamil Tayyar publicly backed Yeni Şafak’s criticism, calling the bill “a grave mistake.”

“You are making a serious error,” Tayyar warned on X. “Empowering prosecutors to seize assets without a court order undermines constitutional property rights.
If courts and institutions like MASAK are bypassed under the pretext of fighting terrorism or money laundering, tomorrow this authority could be misused in unpredictable ways.
Laws must be written not for good intentions but for bad possibilities. This dangerous mistake must be corrected.”

Tayyar’s remarks underscore growing unease within the AKP’s conservative base over the concentration of prosecutorial powers and weakening institutional checks.

CHP: “A Symptom of Internal Power Struggle”

Opposition lawmakers seized on the controversy as evidence of a fracture within the ruling bloc.
Republican People’s Party (CHP) parliamentary group leader Gökhan Günaydın told Evrensel newspaper that the dispute reflects rising tensions between rival factions inside the AKP and its business backers.

“It’s remarkable that Yeni Şafak is expressing concern over this draft. It shows how the internal conflict between business circles aligned with AKP is heating up,” Günaydın said.

He added that the controversy coincides with speculation that Turkey could be returned to the FATF “grey list” for money-laundering deficiencies, fueling claims that foreign intelligence agencies are pressuring Ankara through financial channels.

Why the Debate Matters

The proposed measure would effectively suspend judicial oversight in cases involving alleged financial crimes, allowing prosecutors to freeze or seize assets immediately — a move critics say would endanger both property rights and investment confidence.

Observers note that the tension between Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç’s judicial reform agenda and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek’s economic stabilization plan has turned into an open policy rift, reflecting deep fissures within the AKP’s governing coalition.

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