Türkiye plans to freeze cryptocurrency accounts in the fight against financial crimes

By Hannah Pérez

The Turkish government would be exploring a plan to expand the powers of its financial crimes agency, allowing it to intervene more directly in cryptocurrency operations such as Bitcoin.

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• Türkiye explores to expand the powers of your financial crimes agency.
• It would allow the authorities to freeze cryptocurrencies and block bank accounts.
• The measures seek to align with the criteria established by GAFI.

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Turkey is preparing measures to grant its body of financial crimes, Masak, extended powers that will allow it to freeze and restrict access to cryptocurrency, as part of a broader effort to combat money laundering and other financial crimes, according to Bloomberg.

According to the report of Bloombergthe new provisions, which They will also cover bank accountsare aligned with the criteria established by the International Financial Action Group (GAFI) to prevent money laundering.

Anonymous sources consulted by this news media indicated that these measures will be presented through a bill in the Turkish Parliament, although the details of the plan are not yet public.

The initiative responds to the growing Concern in Türkiye for the use of cryptocurrencies in illegal activitiesin a context where the country seeks to strengthen its financial regulatory framework.

The extension of the powers of Masak will allow this entity to intervene more directly in digital asset operations, a measure that could have a significant impact on the cryptocurrency market in Turkey, one of the most active in the region.

The report of Bloomberg It emphasizes that these actions are part of a broader effort of the Turkish government to comply with international standards and improve its position against GAFI, an agency that supervises global policies against money laundering and terrorism financing. Türkiye has faced pressures to strengthen its financial regulations, especially after being included in the “Gray List” of the GAFI in 2021, which indicates deficiencies in its measures against money laundering.

Although the bill has not yet been officially presented, the possibility that Masak obtains authority to freeze cryptocurrency accounts has generated concern among investors and operators in the sector in Türkiye.

The country has experienced a boom in the use of cryptocurrencies in recent years, driven by inflation and the devaluation of the Turkish lyre, which has led many citizens to resort to cryptocurrencies as a refuge of value. The 2025 report of Chainysis It lists Turkey as the 14th largest cryptocurrency market by adoption, which reflects a high public interest.

Bloomberg He pointed out that the sources consulted spoke on condition of anonymity, since the plan has not yet been made public. The Turkish authorities have not issued official comments on the proposal so far.

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Article written with the help of AI, edited by Diariobitcoin

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