Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Nov 23, 2025

Duchess of York linked to further payment in court case

Duchess of York linked to further payment in court case

The latest steps in a Turkish millionaire's fraud claim have linked a further payment to the Duchess of York.

Court documents show lawyers of Nebahat Isbilen have updated who they claim received her assets, in allegations against business adviser Selman Turk.

This suggests the Duchess of York could have received a further £20,000, in addition to £225,000 and more than £1m paid to her ex-husband Prince Andrew.

Mr Turk has denied the allegations of misusing Mrs Isbilen's money.

There are no suggestions of wrongdoing against the Duke or Duchess of York or their family.

'Brand ambassador'


This complex case before the High Court in London revolves around claims that 77-year-old Mrs Isbilen has been the victim of "systematic fraud".

She has accused Mr Turk of having "dishonestly misappropriated" about £38m of her assets.

Peters and Peters, the law firm representing Mrs Isbilen, have updated details of where they claim some of her money was directed by Mr Turk, clarifying a confusion over similarly-named businesses.

Court papers say it now "appears likely" that a payment, previously identified as £20,000, was to a business "connected with Sarah, Duchess of York".

A source close to the duchess said the £20,000 was for her advisory role with Alphabet Capital, the firm which had made the payment.

Alphabet Capital is claimed in court papers as being used by Mr Turk to make payments - but a source close to the duchess said she was unaware of any link with Mr Turk.

Court papers also show Alphabet Capital as the route for the duchess receiving £225,000.

Prince Andrew has returned £750,000


It is understood the Duchess of York is not planning to repay the £225,000, because this was to cover her work as a brand ambassador for a US solar energy company.

The duchess is understood to have wanted to be paid in a single payment by the US firm, rather than in instalments - and Mr Turk stepped in to forward the full amount.

A spokesman for the Duchess of York said: "The duchess was completely unaware of the allegations that have since emerged against Mr Turk. She is naturally concerned by what has been alleged against him."

£750,000 paid back


Court documents also show claims of payments to her daughter Princess Eugenie, with about £15,000 referenced as a "birthday gift", and another payment of £10,000.

Prince Andrew is claimed to have received £350,000 through Alphabet Capital.

And he has repaid a separate payment of £750,000 given to him directly by Mrs Isbilen on 15 November 2019.

Princess Beatrice was named in the financial court case


Mrs Isbilen says she was misled into believing the £750,000 was for help with a passport. She also claims Mr Turk had explained the payment to her bank as a "wedding gift" for Princess Beatrice.

But Mr Turk says the money for Prince Andrew was paid by Mrs Isbilen "on her own initiative" and not under his direction.

Mrs Isbilen's lawyer Jonathan Tickner said Prince Andrew was contacted in March 2021 requesting an account of his dealings with Mr Turk.

"Prince Andrew declined to provide any such account but ...repaid Mrs Isbilen the sum of £750,000," said Mr Tickner.

Prince Andrew's representatives have declined to comment on the ongoing court case.

The week before the £750,000 was paid, Mr Turk's bank business, Heyman AI, had received an award at the Pitch at the Palace business event, headed by Prince Andrew, with Mr Turk and the prince appearing on stage at the awards.

The court papers report Mrs Isbilen's claim that Mr Turk also attended a charity event that week hosted by Prince Andrew at St James's Palace, at which Mr Turk "sought to promote his UK banking business".

But this prize-winning business also seems to have been funded by Mrs Isbilen, who says her assets were being used "without my knowledge or consent".

She claims millions were taken from her accounts and transferred via other companies, including an offshore firm linked to Mr Turk, to pay for Heyman AI.

But Mr Turk says Mrs Isbilen voluntarily offered to support his Heyman AI business, offering him a loan of £4m at 0% interest, although he says he convinced her to accept some interest.

The business went into liquidation and court papers note that "all of the money appears to have been spent".

Moving assets


Mrs Isbilen is from a wealthy Turkish business family, but when her politician husband was jailed she wanted help moving her assets out of Turkey.

The claim before the High Court is that Mr Turk misused his role as business adviser, with her lawyers saying she had a limited grasp of English and had entrusted "almost total control" of her finances to Mr Turk.

But Mr Turk rejects any claim of deceit, saying that "at every step" he acted in accordance with Mrs Isbilen's instructions.

He says she gave her approval to all the financial transactions and investments he carried out, which had been signed by her "confirming her instructions and authorisation".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Johnson Blasts ‘Incoherent’ Covid Inquiry Findings Amid Report’s Harsh Critique of His Government
Lord Rothermere Secures £500 Million Deal to Acquire Telegraph Titles
Maduro Tightens Security Measures as U.S. Strike Threat Intensifies
U.S. Envoys Deliver Ultimatum to Ukraine: Sign Peace Deal by Thursday or Risk Losing American Support
Zelenskyy Signals Progress Toward Ending the War: ‘One of the Hardest Moments in History’ (end of his business model?)
U.S. Issues Alert Declaring Venezuelan Airspace a Hazard Due to Escalating Security Conditions
The U.S. State Department Announces That Mass Migration Constitutes an Existential Threat to Western Civilization and Undermines the Stability of Key American Allies
Students Challenge AI-Driven Teaching at University of Staffordshire
Pikeville Medical Center Partners with UK’s Golisano Children’s Network to Expand Pediatric Care
Germany, France and UK Confirm Full Support for Ukraine in US-Backed Security Plan
UK Low-Traffic Neighbourhoods Face Rising Backlash as Pandemic Schemes Unravel
UK Records Coldest Night of Autumn as Sub-Zero Conditions Sweep the Country
UK at Risk of Losing International Doctors as Workforce Exodus Grows, Regulator Warns
ASU Launches ASU London, Extending Its Innovation Brand to the UK Education Market
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Visit China in January as Diplomatic Reset Accelerates
Google Launches Voluntary Buyouts for UK Staff Amid AI-Driven Company Realignment
UK braces for freezing snap as snow and ice warnings escalate
Majority of UK Novelists Fear AI Could Displace Their Work, Cambridge Study Finds
UK's Carrier Strike Group Achieves Full Operational Capability During NATO Drill in Mediterranean
Trump and Mamdani to Meet at the White House: “The Communist Asked”
Nvidia Again Beats Forecasts, Shares Jump in After-Hours Trading
Wintry Conditions Persist Along UK Coasts After Up to Seven Centimetres of Snow
UK Inflation Eases to 3.6 % in October, Opening Door for Rate Cut
UK Accelerates Munitions Factory Build-Out to Reinforce Warfighting Readiness
UK Consumer Optimism Plunges Ahead of November Budget
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
Caribbean Reparations Commission Seeks ‘Mutually Beneficial’ Justice from UK
EU Insists UK Must Contribute Financially for Access to Electricity Market and Broader Ties
UK to Outlaw Live-Event Ticket Resales Above Face Value
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
German Entertainment Icons Alice and Ellen Kessler Die Together at Age 89
UK Unveils Sweeping Asylum Reforms with 20-Year Settlement Wait and Conditional Status
UK Orders Twitter Hacker to Repay £4.1 Million Following 2020 High-Profile Breach
Popeyes UK Eyes Century Mark as Fried-Chicken Chain Accelerates Roll-out
Two-thirds of UK nurses report working while unwell amid staffing crisis
Britain to Reform Human-Rights Laws in Sweeping Asylum Policy Overhaul
Nearly Half of Job Losses Under Labour Government Affect UK Youth
UK Chancellor Reeves Eyes High-Value Home Levy in Budget to Raise Tens of Billions
UK Urges Poland to Choose Swedish Submarines in Multi-Billion € Defence Bid
US Border Czar Tom Homan Declares UK No Longer a ‘Friend’ Amid Intelligence Rift
UK Announces Reversal of Income Tax Hike Plans Ahead of Budget
Starmer Faces Mounting Turmoil as Leaked Briefings Ignite Leadership Plot Rumours
UK Commentator Sami Hamdi Returns Home After US Visa Revocation and Detention
UK Eyes Denmark-Style Asylum Rules in Major Migration Shift
UK Signals Intelligence Freeze Amid US Maritime Drug-Strike Campaign
TikTok Awards UK & Ireland 2025 Celebrates Top Creators Including Max Klymenko as Creator of the Year
UK Growth Nearly Stalls at 0.1% in Q3 as Cyberattack Halts Car Production
Apple Denied Permission to Appeal UK App Store Ruling, Faces Over £1bn Liability
UK Chooses Wylfa for First Small Modular Reactors, Drawing Sharp U.S. Objection
Starmer Faces Growing Labour Backlash as Briefing Sparks Authority Crisis
×