Businessman Akin Ipek Briefly Detained in London Over Turkey’s Request

Exiled Turkish businessman Akin Ipek faces extradition battle in London after Turkish authorities sought his arrest over links to chief foe of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

He was briefly detained back in May over an extradition request by Ankara, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Saturday. He will face extradition trial before Westminster Magistrates’ Court in September, the British Interior Ministry said.

Ipek who owns Koza Business Group in Turkey was forced to live in London after his assets and companies were seized by the Turkish government in 2015.

The authorities cited financial irregularities and other misconduct for the confiscation of Ipek’s property, a claim that was found by critics to be unconvincing.

“Mr. Ipek is one of Turkey’s most respected entrepreneurs and is a man of good character. He has complete confidence that the English court will throw out this extradition request, which is the latest attempt to bring the Turkish state’s ongoing campaign of persecution to these shores,” a spokesman for Ipek Ltd. told Reuters.