Turkish charity yet another victim of Erdogan’s son’s corruption

Investigations have shown that Necmettin Bilal, a son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, had illegally obtained public funds with support from some government officials. One of these officials was the secretary-general of the Waqf Institutions who leased a plot of land and historical buildings for Bilal for 49 years without money.

A member of the ruling Justice and Development Party, who is also the head of Fatih municipality, has leased a university dormitory that was established with public funds for the Waqf Institutions for 29 years for no money.

The National Public Properties Directorate also leased nine acres and 800 square meters of land to the institutions for 30 years for no money.

Bilal led a charity organization, claiming that the organization would offer services to the needy, including educational services for youths. Soon, however, the list of properties of the same charity included 21 dorms, three hostels and 160 million Turkish liras. The charity then started its own projects at the universities and nurseries. These institutions aim at graduating a new generation of Turkish citizens who are only loyal to Erdogan.

Bilal, 37, has turned the charity into a façade for his dubious activities and money laundering. He uses his status as a son of the Turkish president in obtaining huge plots of land for the sake of businessmen in return for gifts.

Investigations have shown that Bilal is in possession of a huge wealth he collected, exploiting his father’s position. Despite assurances by Erdogan that his son is a mere small investor in the field of foodstuffs, a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party revealed that Bilal owns 25 restaurants, not five as he claims.

The same member of the party showed that Erdogan’s son had hammered out deals for the import of milk with Brazilian companies. Bilal reportedly owns a foodstuffs company and another company for cosmetics.

Osama Qotb, a nephew of Muslim Brotherhood theoretician Sayyed Qtob, is one of the people involved in dealings with Bilal. Qotb obtained the Egyptian citizenship when Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi was still in power.

Bilal laid his hands on 15 acres of land that overlooks Lake Sapanca, a prime real estate location. He claimed to have obtained the land to expand the charity in order to offer services to the Turkish people.

The Turkish daily Cumhuriyet quoted a Turkish official as saying that as prime minister, Erdogan prevented prosecutors from chasing his son in connection with financial violations that were committed at the time.

Bilal, who was born in 1981, is the most famous of Erdogan’s sons, even as he is not the oldest. He is the closest to Erdogan. He has major business activities.