Freezing of Deniz Surgut's assets for six months by ministerial decree

The Minister of the Interior and the Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty signed, on September 11, 2026, an order mandating the freezing of the assets of Mr. Deniz SURGUT. The measure was published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0214 on September 13, 2026, under reference NOR ECOT2623489A.

The order, issued on the basis of Articles L. 562-2 et seq. of the Monetary and Financial Code, applies for a period of six months from the publication of the extract in the Official Journal.

A measure based on the Monetary and Financial Code

The decision is part of the French framework for combating the financing of terrorism and threats to national security. Articles L. 562-2 et seq. of the Monetary and Financial Code allow administrative authorities to order the freezing of assets of natural or legal persons, without prejudice to judicial proceedings.

The order was issued jointly by the two competent ministries, the Interior and the Economy, and was signed on September 11, 2026. It entered into force upon its publication in the Official Journal on September 13, 2026.

Persons and entities concerned

The measure directly targets Mr. Deniz SURGUT, born on August 25, 1988, in Batman (Turkey). It also extends to all structures he controls:

• economic funds and resources belonging to, owned, held, or controlled by Mr. Deniz SURGUT;
• legal persons or any other entity owned or controlled by him;
• entities acting knowingly on his behalf or on his instructions.

Prohibitions and scope of the measure

During the freezing period, all operations are prohibited:

• the direct or indirect provision of funds or economic resources for the benefit of the targeted person;
• the use of these funds or resources for the benefit of Mr. Deniz SURGUT or the entities he controls, owns, or which act on his behalf.

These prohibitions are binding on financial actors, credit institutions, and all natural or legal persons, who must refrain from any movement for the benefit of the designated persons and entities.

Appeals process

The order may be contested within two months of its notification, through two channels:

• an informal appeal (recours gracieux) addressed to the Minister of the Interior (Direction des libertés publiques et des affaires juridiques, place Beauvau, 75800 Paris Cedex 08) or the Minister of the Economy (139, rue de Bercy, 75572 Paris Cedex 12, télédoc 233, liste-nationale@dgtresor.gouv.fr);
• a contentious appeal before the Administrative Court of Paris (7, rue de Jouy, 75181 Paris Cedex 04).

A measure with immediate impact for financial actors

For banks, insurers, and other professionals required to verify their clients, this publication mandates immediate vigilance: any transaction for the benefit of Mr. Deniz SURGUT or the entities he controls is now prohibited for six months. The general public is also concerned, as any provision of funds for the benefit of the designated person is subject to the sanctions provided for by the monetary and financial code. The measure, which is renewable, illustrates the increasing use of administrative asset freezing by the French administration as a prevention tool.

Official Source: Decree of September 11, 2026, implementing articles L. 562-2 et seq. of the monetary and financial code, NOR ECOT2623489A, published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0214 of September 13, 2026.