A former Turkish minister and senior member of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party, Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya, has been remanded in custody pending trial over an alleged multi-billion-dollar investment fund scandal.

Kaya was detained by an Istanbul court on Friday, November 6, 2026, on charges of violating capital markets laws and belonging to an organisation allegedly established for criminal activities, according to state news agency Anadolu.

Also read: Gamblers linked to 42% of tennis players’ online abuse

She served as Turkey’s Family Minister between 2016 and 2018 and was until recently a deputy chair of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Kaya resigned from her party position on September 26 following allegations by the main opposition Yeni party that she and her husband had made substantial profits from transactions linked to the investment scandal.

The controversy intensified after a Yeni lawmaker sought clarification over claims that Kaya and her husband had made millions through share transactions before the scandal became public.

The allegations raised questions about possible insider trading, although the claims remain subject to investigation.

Kaya subsequently left the ruling AKP amid the growing controversy.

Turkey has been dealing with the consequences of the investment fund scandal since it emerged in mid-September, with prosecutors investigating allegations of widespread market manipulation.

The investigation reportedly involves financial transactions that may have affected the savings of nearly half a million investors.

Turkey’s Justice Minister, Akin Gurlek, said on Tuesday that 112 people had been jailed pending trial in connection with the crisis.

He said investigators had uncovered what he described as a “comprehensive criminal network” that had infiltrated the highest levels of the country’s financial markets.