Details from İmamoğlu's 121-page statement! Here is his monthly income.

22.03.2025 08:01

The statement of Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was detained on charges of terrorism and corruption, has emerged. İmamoğlu provided a 121-page statement to the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit, responding to almost all of the allegations with "I do not acknowledge them, I strongly reject them." İmamoğlu stated that his monthly income is 250,000 lira and did not answer questions regarding the MASAK reports related to İmamoğlu Construction.

The statement given by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu to the police has been obtained within the scope of the corruption investigation initiated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against IMM.

The investigation initiated by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against IMM Mayor İmamoğlu and 99 suspects for the crimes of "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "bribery," "qualified fraud," "misappropriation of personal data," and "interfering with a tender" is ongoing.

HE GAVE A STATEMENT FOR 3 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES

It has been learned that İmamoğlu, whose statement was taken in this context, provided a 121-page statement to the police of the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit for 3 hours and 40 minutes.

ONE-SENTENCE RESPONSE TO THE REMORSE QUESTION

At the beginning of the statement, İmamoğlu was informed about the effective remorse provisions and was later asked, "Do you want to benefit from the effective remorse provisions that have been explained to you?" İmamoğlu replied, "I do not want to benefit from the effective remorse provisions because I have not committed any crime."

QUESTION ABOUT ASSETS WAS ASKED

In response to questions about real estate, vehicles, and other assets, İmamoğlu stated, "I have made a declaration of assets." He also mentioned that his monthly income is 250,000 lira.

PHOTOS OF THE OTHER 99 SUSPECTS WERE SHOWN

During the police interrogation, İmamoğlu was asked questions regarding the crimes of "establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "being a member of an organization established for the purpose of committing a crime," "bribery," "interfering with a tender," "interfering with the performance of an obligation," "misappropriation," and "qualified fraud."

During the interrogation, İmamoğlu was shown the photos of 99 suspects who are in the same investigation as him and was asked if he recognized any of them.

İmamoğlu responded to this question as follows:

"The sole reason for my presence here is a political intervention and struggle model initiated against me. Unfortunately, this form of struggle has been carried out against me for years in the form of judicial harassment. I see the questioning of someone who has won elections with the highest three vote rates in Istanbul's history, representing 16 million Istanbulites, as part of a process directed against the will of the people. For this reason, I am making this statement. While I will provide detailed answers to the questions you will ask later at the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, I will also respond to those I deem necessary."

DID HE PARTICIPATE IN TENDERS?

According to the information obtained, during his statement, İmamoğlu was first asked whether he participated in the tenders of the municipalities. İmamoğlu replied to this question, "The mayors of Istanbul and all previous mayors, during their terms, do not have the time to participate in tenders, sign tenders, or follow up on the results, just like me."

"I DO NOT CONSIDER THE QUESTIONS"

In response to the inquiry about the statements of secret witnesses and witnesses, İmamoğlu stated that he does not consider the questions and vehemently rejects all allegations.

Regarding the questions about the public being defrauded of hundreds of millions of lira in connection with the tenders of İSPARK, Kültür AŞ, and KİPTAŞ, which were identified in the investigation file, he again replied, "I do not consider this question. I vehemently reject all allegations."

SKIPPED QUESTIONS ABOUT MASAK REPORTS

İmamoğlu did not provide any explanation regarding the reports prepared by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board during his statement at the police.

In response to questions about the content of the trades made with the mentioned individuals based on the reports that were prepared and entered into the file, İmamoğlu stated:

"Since the basis of the question, the MASAK report, has not been presented to me, I cannot provide detailed information at this stage, but it appears that the matter is entirely related to the legal sale of an anonymous company. Detailed information and documents regarding this issue will be submitted to the legal authorities later. Moreover, İmamoğlu Construction is a company owned by my family for 36 years, and after being elected mayor, I do not even have signing authority in the company. It is a professionally managed company. All my assets related to me are known to the relevant official authorities and the public in accordance with Law No. 3628. If there is an allegation regarding this, I declare that I reject it outright."

"IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO RESPOND TECHNICALLY"

In response to a question regarding the sale of citizens' personal data residing in the city through the "Istanbul is Yours" application, which would supposedly generate 5-6 times more revenue for advertising agencies, İmamoğlu stated that the application has gained international acclaim and has been downloaded by 6 million people, adding, "The technical information regarding this matter cannot be known by me. If an official letter had been written to the Mayor's Office, a response could have easily been obtained from the relevant units. The audio recording, which appears to be the basis for the questions, is not known how and by whom it was obtained, and the identities of the speakers are also unclear. For these reasons, it is not possible for me to respond to these questions technically."

QUESTIONS ABOUT SECRET WITNESS STATEMENTS WERE ASKED

İmamoğlu, in response to the statement of secret witness Meşe, which said, "...Adem Soytekin is the person who has been in partnership with Ekrem Bey since his time in Beylikdüzü and has some of his assets. KİPTAŞ tenders were given to him. He also took on the work related to the construction of the municipality's daycare centers. He donated one daycare center to the municipality as a show." he replied, "I do not consider this question."

When asked about the statement of secret witness Çınar, which said, "...Adem Soytekin is one of Ekrem İmamoğlu's cashiers, I heard that he received a tender from KİPTAŞ and acted together with Fatih Keleş..." İmamoğlu responded, "I would repeat my answer to the previous question."

İmamoğlu was also asked about the statement of secret witness Meşe, which said, "...The other individuals in the footage, Fatih Keleş and Tuncay Yılmaz, are also the people who facilitate İmamoğlu's money traffic. Tuncay Yılmaz is the company manager. Fatih Keleş is the person who collects money from bribery or commission jobs since the previous period. He was appointed to the head of İBB Sports. This is actually a cover-up. By making Tuncay Yılmaz the accountant here, they took control of the money coming in and out of the club. If an unofficial expense is to be made, and someone is to be purchased, and a budget is to be created for this, Tuncay (Yılmaz) and Fatih Keleş will handle these jobs. Both of them attend the meetings that Ekrem İmamoğlu holds on this matter. Murat Ongun is also present in these meetings. Ertan Yıldız is the advisor responsible for the subsidiaries. He determines all tenders to be given outside of Media and Culture AŞ and which companies will receive these tenders. Ertan Yıldız, together with Fatih Keleş, determines the commission to be taken from the tenders. Later, Fatih and Tuncay collect this money. During the CHP congress period, the money collected in this way was distributed to the delegates."```html

At the beginning of the work was Resul Emrah Şahan, who is currently the Mayor of Şişli. Part of the financial source of the work was provided through BİMTAŞ. BİMTAŞ was financed by İPA (Istanbul Planning Agency). Both the funds collected by Ekrem İmamoğlu from Fatih Keleş and Tuncay Yılmaz and the financing that BİMTAŞ provided to İPA were distributed to the delegates. In this way, they achieved the results they wanted at the congress..." the statement was asked.

In response, İmamoğlu said, "I do not consider this question. I strongly reject all allegations."

ALLEGATION OF CAUSING 260 MILLION DAMAGE TO THE PUBLIC

"It was stated that illegal instructions were given to companies that made illicit transactions with İBB companies, Kültür and Medya AŞ, and arbitrary practices were carried out, that illegal advertising boards in construction and buildings, for which it was not possible to obtain permission according to the relevant regulation, were allowed by the illegal instructions of İBB President, consultant Murat Ongun, Ertan Yıldız, former General Manager of Kültür A. Ş, and Deputy Secretary General responsible for the police, Murat Yazıcı, and that no penal sanctions were applied, that many company owners and managers collaborated, that unofficial permits, illegal protocols, and irregular payments were made for non-existent advertising jobs, that ecrimisils were collected, that Kültür AŞ and Medya AŞ were used as a cover for irregularities, and that in this way the public was caused a loss of 260 million 755 thousand 555 lira, and that the allegations were evaluated in light of the information obtained, statements taken, expert reports, and legal provisions" was read to İmamoğlu.

İmamoğlu was asked, "In accordance with the decision of the İBB Council dated August 12, 2011, and numbered 1718, regarding the open-air advertising units to be placed in İBB properties and under the control of the İBB Council, which were tendered to the municipal company Kültür AŞ with the decision of the İBB Council dated November 26, 2011, and numbered 2202-916, it was stated that a total of 415 million 619 thousand 384 TL plus VAT was unjustly gained and that İmamoğlu was responsible for causing public damage due to the violations of the tender specifications and contract by the sub-lessee 3rd Mecra Reklam and the actual operator Kentvizyon Medya."

İmamoğlu answered this question, "I do not consider this question. I strongly reject all allegations."

"It was claimed that by reducing the number of billboards and increasing the number of giantboards, which have high rental income, a public loss of 1 billion 189 million 498 thousand 560 TL plus VAT was caused by the 3rd year of the ongoing contract, and that by the end of the contract period, the loss would be 2 billion 564 million 995 thousand 200 TL plus VAT." In response to this allegation, İmamoğlu said, "I do not consider this question. I strongly reject all allegations."

BEYLİKDÜZÜ TENDER WAS ASKED

İmamoğlu was asked about a witness whose statement was taken within the scope of the investigation, ". During the period of Ekrem İmamoğlu as the Mayor of Beylikdüzü, he went out to a tender numbered 2016/429603, and although none of the work items in this 12-day tender were completed, they were shown as completed, and approximately 1 million TL was paid to a company named Dilde Eğitim Ltd. Şti. After I reported the issue, the municipality tried to cover it up by saying 'We made the payment by mistake.' The company, after being exposed, changed its name to Yeni Fikir Eğitim Ltd. Şti. and continues to receive work from Beylikdüzü and İBB." was asked for a response.

In response, İmamoğlu said, "I do not consider this question. I strongly reject all allegations."

WITNESS STATEMENTS WERE ALSO ASKED: MONEY WAS BROUGHT IN A BAG

In addition to the statements of the secret witness, İmamoğlu was also asked about witness statements. Without naming the witnesses, the following allegations were summarized and posed as questions:

Outdoor advertising tenders were taken by the Kapki family's company Advercity, the İlbak and Subaşı family companies, Urban Medya. These large companies would not leave these tenders to other companies.

Especially after 2019, I know that the outdoor advertising area rental tender made by Kültür A. Ş. during the period of Ekrem İmamoğlu was predetermined regarding who would be awarded. If there was participation in the tender other than those they wanted, they would exclude companies by adding conditions to the specifications. For example, in a tender for 50 billboards, the company that won the tender does 10 jobs but receives payment for the production, installation, and dismantling of 50 units. The fees for the remaining 40 units are shared with intermediaries without any work being done. In this way, a large amount of corruption is carried out. At the top of this operation are Ekrem İmamoğlu and Murat Ongun, İlbak Holding (İlbaklar), the Subaşı family, and a few other companies that I cannot recall at the moment.

İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality inspectors sometimes cut and remove licensed or unlicensed advertising boards throughout the city, initiating a new process. This prepares the ground for new tenders or contracts. In this way, they generate profit.

With İmamoğlu's sponsorship of the election, relationships with companies like Urban Medya have developed, and he conducts his business through a cycle of bribery within these dirty relationships.

The İlbak family also draws attention by winning the billboard tenders of Kültür AŞ in Istanbul. It transformed from a small agency in the 1990s into a large holding company overnight. As far as I know, they currently have 10 shopping malls in America.

As far as I know, part of the unofficially earned money is used to create a fund to finance Ekrem İmamoğlu's posters, rally organizations, the provision of election buses, and dressing during the election period. Even during the election period, this money is given to citizens on the street under the name of pocket money to try to win votes.

"Companies wishing to place advertisements used to obtain permits from the Urban Design Directorate of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality before 2019. After Ekrem İmamoğlu was elected mayor, these permits were transferred to the authority of Kültür AŞ. Before 2019, no fees were requested for permits. After 2019, Kültür AŞ started to demand high fees for these permits. It was a kind of legal extortion. They transfer the money they collect through collusive contracts to affiliated companies. These companies or subsidiaries issue fake invoices through this method. At the head of this organization are Murat Ongun and Serdar Taşçı, under the direction of Ekrem İmamoğlu.

There must be many other municipal officials involved in this organization.

As far as I remember, after the 2019 municipal elections, we obtained the advertising rental tender for the poles on the Anatolian side of Istanbul from AYEDAŞ for 8,000,000 TL. The president of Kültür A. Ş., Serdal TAŞKIN, requested 8,000,000 TL from them as well. He stated that if we did not give them 8,000,000 TL, we would not be able to obtain the visual suitability permit. Ultimately, we agreed to obtain the visual suitability permit for 4,000,000 TL and submitted our application to Kültür A. Ş. For this unofficial amount, Kültür A. Ş. issued an invoice to our company with fictitious explanations such as design fees, equipment rental fees, etc. In this way, they legitimized the unjust money they received. They forced us to pay this amount.

Regarding outdoor advertising works, Serdal Taşkın, Murat Ongun, Murat Kapki, Hüseyin Koksal, Necati Özkan, and Fatih Keleş, who are part of Ekrem İmamoğlu's team, would meet at least twice a week for secret meetings at Beylikdüzü Mado between 23:00 and 01:00. In these meetings, issues related to outdoor advertisements, tenders, and illicit matters were discussed. After the meetings, Murat Ongun and Serdal Taşkın would leave with bags that I suspected contained money. Sometimes I know that these bags were deposited by Serdal Taşkın into the private safe at the Nişantaşı branch of Vakıfbank. From what I have seen, under the instruction of Ekrem İmamoğlu, the irregular tender and brokerage activities are carried out through the names I mentioned above, organized by Murat Ongun and Serdal Taşkın. I have seen that the money of Ekrem İmamoğlu was also transported by Serdal Taşkın, and I noticed that these bags were in the car. The secret meetings I mentioned above were generally held between 23:00 and 01:00.

I have been subjected to many difficulties such as threats, insults, pressure, and the seizure of my material and moral reputation. Many of the billboards and materials I own in outdoor advertising areas were destroyed, damaged, and looted.

Ekrem İmamoğlu, when asked whether he would make another statement since he did not answer some questions, replied, "No."

"I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS THAT I FEEL BAD"

When asked if he had anything else to add to his statement, İmamoğlu said the following:

"From the moments I was detained until now, I would like to express that I feel much worse for my nation, our city, and our country after the questions asked during the statement. While Turkey has many national and international issues that need solutions, the questions asked above have shown that being detained with baseless accusations consisting of setups, fabrications, lies, and conspiracy theories has unfortunately brought Turkey and the whole world to the agenda, causing serious damage to our country's reputation and experiencing the undermining of democracy and justice."