Turkey’s Corruption Probe Snares Real-Estate ’King’ -
▻http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304866904579267853769558802
Ali Agaoglu aurait été arrêté simplement par le fait de sa trop forte médiatisation, traduction ostentatoire de sa formidable ascension sociale depuis l’arrivée de l’AKP au pouvoir et cible toute trouvée des Gülenistes ? Un peu rapide... Aucune mention des pots-de-vin supposés versés pour ouvrir des terrains non urbanisables à la construction en périphérie d’Istanbul
Mr. Agaoglu’s arrest comes amid an increasingly public battle within Mr. Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, or AKP, between his supporters and a faction loyal to a U.S.-based cleric, Fethullah Gulen. Mr. Gulen’s moderate, loosely knit Islamic movement has helped the conservative AKP dominate Turkish politics for more than a decade, but has wielded influence over the government, according to analysts.
Analysts said Mr. Agaoglu’s detention is highly symbolic because he represents a new class of ultrawealthy entrepreneurs that emerged under AKP’s rule. Largely unknown in Turkey before the party swept to power in 2002, Mr. Agaoglu became a defining symbol of a decadelong construction boom that underpinned a tripling of Turkey’s $786 billion economy.
He frequently appears on television to sell his company’s products, and is considered close to Mr. Erdogan’s government, which has been criticized by some commentators and opposition lawmakers for its ties to the construction industry. According to Forbes, he has amassed a personal fortune of $2.7 billion, winning contracts to build more than 30,000 residential units across Turkey.
“Being media-savvy has its benefits but also minuses. Unfortunately, it seems that Agaoglu may be harmed by his publicity,” said Haluk Sur, a member of the board of Emlak Konut, Turkey’s biggest real-estate investment trust, and someone who knows Mr. Agaoglu personally