04.09.2026 10:01
Former Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek will testify today as a suspect regarding the allegation that "unregistered money was transferred to companies abroad." Bülent Arınç, who had harsh polemics with Gökçek in the past, made statements about the investigation. Arınç answered the question of why the investigation was opened now as follows: "Ah, if only I could know that, if only I could know...
The investigation launched regarding former Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek, based on the claim that "unregistered money was transferred to companies abroad," continues to hold the spotlight. Gökçek will testify today at 16:00 at the Ankara Courthouse as a suspect. Following this development, attention turned to Bülent Arınç, who had made very harsh statements against Gökçek in the past. Arınç used striking remarks regarding the investigation.
GÖKÇEK WILL TESTIFY AS A SUSPECT TODAY
The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, after journalist Murat Ağırel brought forward claims regarding Gökçek and his family's commercial activities abroad, initiated an ex officio investigation on August 29 based on the claim that "unregistered money was transferred to companies abroad." Within the scope of the investigation, former Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Melih Gökçek will testify as a suspect today at 16:00 at the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
WORDS "PLOT BY PLOT" FROM 11 YEARS AGO BACK ON THE AGENDA
Following Gökçek's summons to testify as a suspect, Bülent Arınç's words from 2015 have drawn attention again. Arınç, who was the Government Spokesperson at the time, had accused Gökçek of selling Ankara to FETÖ members "plot by plot." The harsh statements between the two figures, which continued for a long time, resonated widely with the public. Years later, as an investigation was opened against Gökçek based on different claims, Arınç was asked how he would act if the prosecutor's office summoned him as a witness.
ARINÇ: I WOULD GO RUNNING
Speaking to İsmail Saymaz from Sözcü, Arınç stated that if such a call came, he would not avoid testifying, using the following expressions:
"If the prosecutor says, 'Come, we will ask you some questions as a witness,' I would go running. I am a man of my word. I worked as a criminal lawyer for years. I know what being a witness means. But what they ask me must definitely be things from before 2015. Otherwise, these events are new; I would not say anything about them, and I don't know anything either. I don't like discussing things based on hearsay. I will tell things I personally experienced and saw. If the investigation is to expand, and if something from the past is to be discussed, if they kindly invite me, I will answer their questions. But I have not experienced or seen anything from after 2017. I only hear about it. In criminal law, matters based on hearsay are not considered serious."
"AH, IF I COULD ONLY KNOW THAT"
Arınç's most striking words came in his answer to a question about the timing of the investigation. Asked, "Why do you think an investigation was opened today, not when you said 'Plot by Plot'?" Arınç responded: "Ah, if I could only know that, if I could only know..."