Turkey detains Faladdin's app creator, a prominent figure in divination technology.
In a significant development, Sertaç Taşdelen, the founder of popular AI-powered fortune-telling apps Faladdin and Binnaz, was arrested by Turkish authorities on July 16, 2025. The İstanbul 8th Criminal Court of Peace ordered his arrest, citing evidence that his company, Arteria Teknoloji AŞ, had used formal accounting and tax declarations to legitimize income derived from services like coffee-cup readings, astrology, and star chart interpretations, which prosecutors allege violate Turkish law.
According to the prosecutors, Arteria Teknoloji’s accounts were used to transfer funds abroad, supporting allegations of asset laundering. Prior to the arrest, an indictment had already been filed in March 2025. During the police operation, electronic devices such as laptops, phones, memory drives, and tablets were seized, along with the freezing of Taşdelen’s bank accounts, electronic money assets, vehicles, boats, and company shares. The total value of seized assets is estimated at 107.5 million Turkish lira (around $3.3 million).
Taşdelen has denied wrongdoing, stating in court that his apps operate in 120 countries and questioning the accusations as a misunderstanding of the AI-based fortune-telling services. However, court records show the apps had previous regulatory sanctions from the Turkish Advertising Board for violations. Authorities accuse Taşdelen of multiple crimes including operating banned software, laundering criminal proceeds, and forming a criminal organization.
The Turkish investigation is rooted in laws that restrict unauthorized spiritual or fortune-telling practices, although some commentators question the applicability of the current legal framework, which dates back to 1925. The case underscores a broader governmental effort to control online and fintech-related activities, with the Treasury and Finance Agency having recently taken over some fintech units in Turkey.
The Turkish Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), the Ministry of Trade's Advertising Board, and expert witnesses are involved in the case against Taşdelen. The investigation remains ongoing, with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Bureau of Crimes Involving Asset Laundering leading the investigation.
[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57863282 [2] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/turkey-arrests-founder-popular-fortune-telling-app-faladdin-2021-10-28/ [3] https://www.anadoluagency.com/en/news/fortune-teller-app-founder-arrested-in-turkey-for-alleged-criminal-activities-3026777 [4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/10/28/turkey-arrests-founder-of-popular-fortune-telling-app-faladdin
Despite the ongoing investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office's Bureau of Crimes Involving Asset Laundering, Sertaç Taşdelen, the founder of the AI-powered fortune-telling apps Faladdin and Binnaz, has maintained his innocence. In light of the accusations, Taşdelen, a resident of Istanbul, Turkey, has been forbidden from engaging in sports or other activities involving the transfer of assets, as per the court order. The Turkish Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and the Ministry of Trade's Advertising Board are among the bodies involved in the case, which also encompasses allegations against Taşdelen for operating banned software, laundering criminal proceeds, and forming a criminal organization.
