Cem Uzan

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Cem Cengiz Uzan (born 1964, in Adapazarı, Turkey) is a Turkish businessman involved in the media and banking industries, while also chairing the right-populist Young Party. His family's media empire includes both television stations and print media. He is often compared with Silvio Berlusconi for mixing medial and political power. He hails from one of Turkey's most influential families, though the family's holdings have faced "scores of civil and criminal lawsuits" alleging various misdeeds, including racketeering, fraud, and libel.[1]

Uzan has often been criticized for using his professional life to bolster his political life, and even benefiting from criminal charges leveled against him.[2] In 2003, U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff commented, "I think the proof is very strong that the Uzans are business imperialists of the worst kind, in that they will go to any lengths, including fraud and racketeering, to preserve their business empire..." Cem Uzan responded by asserting that the judge "is biased against Turkey, against the Turkish people."[3] Uzan's populist-oriented political party, which has emphasized the slogan "Turkey belongs to the Turks!", often has been galvanized by the charges he has faced abroad.[4]

He once described a Motorola lawsuit against his family's holdings as "Lies! A bunch of outright lies!"[5] When a High Court judge in the United Kingdom ruled against the Uzan family, Cem Uzan suggested that the judge "thinks he rules the world."[6]

When Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan moved to seize Uzan's utility holdings, Uzan declared the Prime Minister an "infidel".[7]

Finally he applied to the European Court of Human Rights against Turkey because of an alleged breach of his right to property protected under Protocol 1 of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Strasbourg Court found Cem Uzan's application admissible. The case is already pending before the Court which will decide on merits.

He has many sensational remarks including "Diesel-oil will be 1 YTL".

[edit] References

• This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of January 8, 2007.