Turkey’s criminal courts are handling a growing number of money laundering cases, with 17,969 people facing charges as of the end of 2025, judicial data cited by the BirGün daily show.
The number of case files categorized as “laundering assets derived from criminal activity” reached 12,629, reflecting the total caseload before criminal courts. These files involve a combined 28,477 alleged offenses, highlighting the scale of suspected financial crime.
Recent data point to a sharp rise in new cases. A total of 10,145 money laundering cases were opened in 2024, while 2,396 cases were carried over into 2025 from the previous year, adding to an expanding backlog.
Despite the large number of defendants, court proceedings have moved slowly. In 2025, only 2,304 defendants appeared before a judge, while 424 were convicted on money laundering charges, raising concerns about the pace and effectiveness of prosecutions.
Critics say the gap between the number of suspects and the relatively low number of trials and convictions points to structural weaknesses in enforcement, reinforcing claims that Turkey has become an attractive destination for illicit financial activity.
Turkey’s record on combating money laundering has long drawn scrutiny from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global watchdog on money laundering and terrorist financing. The country was first put on the FATF “grey list” in 2010, removed in 2014 after reforms and added again in 2021 over deficiencies in tackling financial crime.
Although Turkey was removed from the grey list in 2024 after completing an action plan, concerns about enforcement persist.
Yet Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek recently said the country faces no risk of returning to the list, citing improved compliance with international standards and ongoing efforts to strengthen oversight.
Over the past year Turkey has seen a growing crackdown on financial institutions and digital platforms accused of enabling illegal betting and laundering criminal proceeds in the country’s growing fintech and online gaming sectors.
In recent months prosecutors have launched a series of high-profile investigations exposing the scale of illegal betting networks, particularly in professional football, social media, electronic payment systems and digital money platforms, including Papara, Payfix, IQ Money and PAYCO.