01.09.2026 22:20
Former Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin, who testified in the investigation targeting the Suleymancis, admitted that he gave a vehicle allocated in his name to a delegation coming from Belarus. He claimed that he had no knowledge of the allegation that during his tenure as minister, Suleyman Hilmi Kalci recorded bureaucrats who engaged in prostitution with women brought from Turkey with a hidden camera and blackmailed them, and that some tenders were obtained through this method. Sahin, however, confessed that he knew Kalci, Mehmet Ozmen, and Nevzat Bukum, who were mentioned in the allegation.
Alihan Kuriş, former Minister of Interior Idris Naim Şahin, who testified as a suspect in the investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the criminal organization, was questioned about the use of vehicles with flashing lights allocated in his name by the suspects, the capture of fugitives Hilmi Tuna Kuriş and Erhan Yılmaz in one of these vehicles, his connections to Belarus, and the statements of his former advisor Ömür Yücel.
Hilmi Tuna Kuriş Şahin, while declaring that he rented the vehicle with license plate 34 SL 313, whose annual fee was shown as 1,000 TL, from Mehmet Özmen's company, claimed that he had no knowledge of the vehicle being used in the abduction of the fugitives. He categorically denied the visa attempts that his former advisor Ömür Yücel said were "with Şahin's knowledge."
In the investigation numbered 2026/153745 by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the details of former Minister of Interior Idris Naim Şahin's statement, which lasted approximately 3.5 hours and spanned 12 pages, have emerged. Şahin was asked about approximately 130 names in the investigation file one by one.
The former Minister, while stating that he did not know most of the names, admitted that he knew Mehmet Özmen, Ömür Yücel, Nevzat Büküm, and Süleyman Hilmi Kalcı, who are in critical positions for the investigation. He claimed that he did not know Alihan Kuriş and his brother, fugitive suspect Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, and that he had only heard their names from the press.
FUGITIVE KURİŞ WAS CAUGHT IN A VEHICLE ALLOCATED TO ŞAHİN One of the most striking questions the Prosecutor's Office directed at Şahin was about the Volvo S90 with license plate 34 SL 313. Fugitive suspect Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, another fugitive suspect in the file, Erhan Yılmaz, and the vehicle's driver Mehmet Özmen were caught in this vehicle in Muğla on August 21, 2026.
According to prosecutor's office records, the vehicle was registered under the name of SAN Sistem Lojistik Bilişim İletişim Güvenlik Sistemleri Ltd. Şti., of which Mehmet Özmen is the owner and general manager. The vehicle's license plate was allocated in the name of İdris Naim Şahin between December 17, 2025, and December 17, 2030.
Şahin, admitting that he rented the vehicle, defended himself by saying, "I last used this vehicle in June. I don't know who used it afterwards."
ANNUAL RENTAL FEE IS ONLY 1,000 TL One of the most striking details in the statement was the rental contract for the vehicle with license plate 34 SL 313. Şahin said that he rented the vehicle on December 25, 2025, from the company owned by Mehmet Özmen, and the annual rental fee was shown as 1,000 TL in the contract.
Şahin, who claimed that he did not use the vehicle throughout the year, stated that he paid only for the days he used it and explained that he sent the money not directly to the company account but to Mehmet Özmen in cash through his former advisor Ömür Yücel.
Şahin's lawyer, on the other hand, argued that the annual fee of 1,000 TL was "symbolic" and that the contract was arranged this way due to notary procedures.
"I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE 4 VEHICLES ALLOCATED" Former Minister of Interior Şahin stated in his testimony that he had the right to have 4 vehicles allocated to him due to his ministerial duties. The prosecutor's office directed separate questions regarding the vehicles with license plates 34 SL 313, 34 S 7815, 34 RM 8677, 34 EMT 156, and 34 MES 340, among the vehicles allocated or associated with allocation records in Şahin's name.
Şahin said he did not remember some of the vehicles and that most of the rental transactions were organized by his former advisor Ömür Yücel. In another striking statement, he defended himself by saying, "I use the vehicles allocated in my name, but I don't know who used them during periods when they were not in my use."
HE SAID "THE ALLOCATION WAS JUST MADE," THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE ASKED ABOUT OLD-DATED CHECKS The Prosecutor's Office also brought up striking traffic check records regarding the Audi Q7 with license plate 34 S 7815 allocated in Şahin's name. According to the file, the vehicle was stopped for traffic checks by Recep Oktay Çolak on May 15, 2025, and by Ömer Sipahioğlu on October 30, 2025.
Şahin, for the said license plate, said, "This vehicle's license plate is allocated in my name. The allocation was just made. It hasn't even been a month." Şahin, while stating that he did not know Recep Oktay Çolak and Ömer Sipahioğlu, explained that the vehicle had recently been used, with his knowledge, by guests coming from Belarus.
ALLOCATION OF A VEHICLE WITH FLASHING LIGHTS TO THE BELARUSIAN DELEGATION Şahin admitted that he gave the Audi Q7 with license plate 34 EMT 156, allocated in his name, to a delegation coming from Belarus for their use. According to Şahin's account, the vehicle was involved in an accident in Bodrum. Therefore, another Audi Q7 with license plate 34 S 7815 was procured to prevent the guests from being victimized.
He stated that Ömür Yücel also carried out the procedures for renting the vehicles and hosting the Belarusian guests. In the statement of Ömür Yücel included in the file, it was described that the vehicle with license plate 34 EMT 156 was received from Kemal Özmen in Istanbul, they went to Bodrum with the son of the Belarusian President and his advance protection team, the flashing lights of the vehicle were removed and left with the delegation, and the vehicle later had an accident.
THE 2011 PROSTITUTION AND BLACKMAIL TIP WAS ALSO ASKED The Prosecutor's Office also asked Şahin about a tip reported to the Istanbul Communications Electronics Branch Directorate on September 14, 2011. The tip alleged that Süleyman Hilmi Kalcı brought women from Belarus to Turkey and used them in prostitution organizations, blackmailed bureaucrats by recording them with hidden cameras, and that some public tenders were directed through this method.
The tip also alleged that Mehmet Özmen handled "errand jobs" and Nevzat Büküm handled the tender affairs of electronic companies. Şahin, who was the Minister of Interior at the time the tip was made, said he had no information or hearsay about it. However, Şahin admitted that he knew Süleyman Hilmi Kalcı, Mehmet Özmen, and Nevzat Büküm, who were mentioned in the tip.
CONTACT WITH KALCI UNTIL 2019 Şahin stated that he knew Süleyman Hilmi Kalcı as a person living in Belarus who ran a phone dealership. Şahin, who said he knew that Kalcı had connections with politicians in Belarus, stated that he had contact with him between 2011 and 2019, and that their last meeting was in 2019.
He claimed that he had no knowledge of the allegations that Kalcı brought women from Belarus for prostitution. Şahin also stated that he knew Mehmet Özmen from his time as an Istanbul deputy. An even more striking detail was included in his statement regarding Özmen's past.
Şahin said he had information that Mehmet Özmen attended courses of the community linked to the Kuriş organization during his childhood. Stating that he called Ömür Yücel after the operation began, Şahin recounted that he reminded Yücel of Özmen's past and asked that Özmen be warned not to participate in protest demonstrations.
FORMER ADVISOR SAID "WITH ŞAHİN'S KNOWLEDGE," ŞAHİN DENIED One of the most striking parts of the statement was the discrepancy between Şahin's statements and those of his former advisor Ömür Yücel.In Yücel's phone review, correspondence was found with the Turkish Consulate in Belarus regarding the visa procedures of some foreign nationals.
Yücel stated that the attempts made by three people, Fatıma Ovezova, Gulsum Ovezova, and Gulnara Bahımora, to obtain entry visas to Turkey were within the knowledge of İdris Naim Şahin. He also stated that he intervened in the equivalence procedures of a person named Arte Fatih Saladuka, again with Şahin's knowledge.
Şahin, on the other hand, completely rejected this statement of his former advisor: “I did not give any instructions to the person named Ömür Yücel on this matter. I definitely have no knowledge or information about these. I am hearing about them for the first time right now.” Şahin also stated that he had no feud with Yücel and said he could not understand why he gave a statement against him.
“I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HE GAVE A STATEMENT AGAINST ME” The prosecutor's office read another statement by Ömür Yücel to Şahin. Yücel had stated that Süleyman Hilmi Kalcı, known as “Alex,” contacted him and asked that it be conveyed to the press that the vehicle with flashing lights was used without İdris Naim Şahin's permission.
Şahin also argued on this matter that he had no direct contact with Kalcı since 2019. However, in his subsequent statement, he said he knew Ömür Yücel communicated with Kalcı, and that Yücel occasionally brought him greetings from Kalcı.
ŞAHİN: MY VEHICLES WERE USED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE At the end of his statement, Şahin denied all accusations. Arguing that the use of vehicles allocated to him without his knowledge and outside their intended purpose should be evaluated within the scope of “breach of trust,” Şahin said he had filed a criminal complaint in this regard and had the allocations of the vehicles cancelled.
While Şahin admitted that his former advisor Ömür Yücel helped foreign women with their visa procedures, he argued that this did not happen on his instruction. More strikingly, in his defense, Şahin used the statement, “Even if he picked up the women with vehicles allocated in my name and used them for prostitution, the use of the vehicles for this purpose is outside my knowledge.”
He stated that he had no information whatsoever about the arrest of fugitives Hilmi Tuna Kuriş and Erhan Yılmaz in a vehicle allocated to him.
REQUEST FOR JUDICIAL CONTROL FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE ON TWO CHARGES It was learned that Şahin's statement, which lasted approximately 3.5 hours, amounted to 12 pages. After his statement, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested that a judicial control measure of a travel ban abroad be imposed on former Minister of Interior İdris Naim Şahin for the crimes of “knowingly and willingly aiding an organization” under TCK 220/7 and “harboring a criminal” under TCK 283/1.
It was learned that in the investigation; who used the vehicles allocated in Şahin's name, during which periods and for what purpose, along with Ömür Yücel's statements, vehicle traffic control records, and Belarus-linked contacts would be evaluated together with other evidence.