The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said former Yunus Emre Institute President Şeref Ateş was taken into custody at Ankara’s Esenboğa Airport on 16 July after flying in from Germany. The arrest was carried out under an outstanding warrant tied to an investigation into alleged financial irregularities at the state-backed cultural body’s parent organisation, the Yunus Emre Foundation. Prosecutors accuse Ateş and associates of using six shell companies and false invoices to siphon more than 300 million lira ($9.3 million) from the foundation, violating statutes on breach of trust and laundering of criminal proceeds. Earlier raids had led to the detention of 17 suspects and the freezing of 1,458 bank accounts, 20 cryptocurrency wallets and three safety-deposit boxes linked to the case. Ateş is being questioned by the Ankara police financial-crimes unit while the probe continues.