Turkish Minister calls grey-listing decision ‘a political move’

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has lambasted the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for putting the country on the so-called grey-list, definiting as a political move. “We all know that this decision is not a just and appropriate decision, but a political decision,” he said at a press conference.

“It is Europe and the West that finances terrorism and gives it strength and direction. We are the ones who pay the price and struggle of this, but it is Turkey that they blame.”

In a press briefing last week, FATF President Marcus Pleyer said that Turkey needs to address “serious issues of supervision” in its banking and real estate sectors, and with gold and precious stones dealers: “Turkey needs to show it is effectively tackling complex money laundering cases and show it is pursuing terrorist financing prosecutions in line with its risks and prioritizing cases of UN-designated terrorist organisations such as IS and Al Qaeda,” he said.

The Turkish Treasury and Finance Ministry on Friday said downgrading Ankara to the grey list despite coordination work with the watchdog has created an unwarranted result, noting that Ankara has taken steps to avoid such position. It said that the country will continue to take necessary steps in cooperation with FATF and it will ensure that Turkey will be removed from this list as soon as possible, the Ministry added.