Turkish authorities have carried out a second operation in the ongoing investigation into Can Holding, detaining 26 individuals across four provinces.

The probe follows suspicions of irregular financial activity worth 88 billion Turkish lira linked to the holding and its 121 affiliated companies, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Among those taken into custody are businessman Arafat Bingöl, former rector of Istanbul Bilgi University Remzi Sanver, and Kenan Tekdağ, who had previously been released under house arrest conditions. Other detainees include spouses of Can Holding owners Şakir Can and Murat Can.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating Can Holding executives for alleged offenses, including forming and managing a criminal organization, membership of an organization, money laundering, and aggravated fraud. The probe also covers allegations of tax evasion, fuel smuggling, and other financial crimes.

A report from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) revealed 88 billion TL ($2.10 million) in suspicious financial transactions in the accounts of Can Holding and its associated companies between 2020 and 2021. The report indicated that some transactions involved high-value invoices for goods that were never actually moved, suggesting a systematic scheme of tax evasion and illicit profit.

The latest operation was coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and carried out simultaneously in Istanbul, Mersin, Iğdır, and İzmir. A total of 35 suspects were targeted, with 26 detained so far. Investigators also seized assets belonging to 121 companies linked to the holding.

According to the prosecution, three suspects are currently abroad, while authorities continue to search for six others. Numerous documents, digital records, and other valuables were confiscated from company offices and private residences.

Earlier in the investigation, Kemal Can, alleged founder and leader of the criminal organization, was arrested on charges of managing a criminal network and concealing the origins of assets. Media owner Turgay Ciner, whose Ciner Holding acquired Can Holding’s media assets, including Show TV and Habertürk, also faced a detention order over alleged money-laundering activities linked to the organization.

Previously, ten people were detained in connection with the case, with six taken into custody and five subsequently remanded in prison. Kenan Tekdağ, head of the media group, was released under house arrest.