Bitexen owner Kemal Cenk Erdem arrested

A Turkish court ordered the arrest of Kemal Cenk Erdem after prosecutors referred him for detention in an investigation involving alleged money transfers linked to illegal betting and laundering of criminal assets.

The ruling said Erdem does not appear in the commercial registry as a direct shareholder, board member or authorized representative of Dinamik Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri. It also noted that he is married to Ayşin Erdem, who founded the company and was its long-standing sole shareholder and controlling partner.

The court identified connections involving Bitexen Kripto Varlık Alım Satım Platformu, Evenpal Teknoloji and KCE Finansal Teknoloji Yatırımları. It said financial records showed money movements connected to Bitexen and Kemal Cenk Erdem among the capital sources of DinamikPay and Dinamik Yatırım. The ruling also cited two-way financial transfers between Erdem and Ayşin Erdem approaching 100 million Turkish lira.

Statements in the case file described Erdem as influential in the group’s practical management and financial decision-making. The court therefore said it would not be consistent with the evidence to view him only as “Ayşin Erdem’s husband.”

Erdem rejected the allegations in his defense. “The company of which I am chairman of the board had no commercial activity with the company mentioned, nor did I,” he said, asking to be released. The court nevertheless ordered detention, citing strong indications of criminal suspicion, concrete signs of flight risk, evidence that had not yet been fully collected and the inadequacy of judicial-control measures.

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The company of which I am chairman of the board had no commercial activity with the company mentioned, nor did I. I request my release.