01.09.2026 21:30
Striking details emerged in the testimony given by former Interior Minister Idris Naim Sahin during the investigation into the followers of Suleymanci, as he gave his statement at the prosecutor's office. Sahin, who said he did not know Hilmi Tuna Kiris, who was caught trying to flee in a vehicle assigned to him, admitted that he did know Mehmet Ozmen, who was caught in the same vehicle. Sahin stated that he rented the vehicle from the company owned by Mehmet Ozmen, saying, 'I last used this vehicle in June. I don't know who used it after that.'
Within the scope of the investigation into Süleymancılar conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, former Interior Minister İdris Naim Şahin, to whom the vehicle identified as having facilitated the abduction of organization leader Hilmi Tuna Kuriş was allocated, gave a statement as a suspect. Following his statement, Şahin was referred to the duty criminal judgeship with a request for judicial control.
FORMER MINISTER'S STATEMENT SPANNED 12 PAGES
It was learned that İdris Naim Şahin's statement lasted approximately 3.5 hours and spanned 12 pages. It was learned that the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested a judicial control measure in the form of a "travel ban abroad" for Şahin, under Article 220/7 of the Turkish Penal Code on charges of "knowingly and willingly aiding an organization" and under Article 283/1 on charges of "harboring a criminal." Şahin was released by the duty criminal judgeship to which he was referred, with the judicial control measure of a travel ban abroad.
CONFESSED TO KNOWING MEHMET ÖZMEN
The prosecution asked the former minister about approximately 130 names one by one. While Şahin said he did not know most of them, he admitted to knowing Mehmet Özmen, Ömür Yücel, Nevzat Büküm, and Süleyman Hilmi Kalcı. He claimed he did not know Alihan Kuriş and his brother Hilmi Tuna Kuriş and heard their names from the press.
"I LAST USED THE VEHICLE IN JUNE"
One of the most striking questions directed at Şahin was about the Volvo S90 with license plate 34 SL 313. The vehicle in which Hilmi Tuna Kuriş, Erhan Yılmaz, and driver Mehmet Özmen were caught in Muğla was registered under İdris Naim Şahin's name. Şahin admitted to renting it from SAN Sistem Lojistik Bilişim İletişim Güvenlik Sistemleri Ltd. Şti., owned by Mehmet Özmen, where he served as general manager, and said, "I last used this vehicle in June. I don't know who used it afterward."
"1,000 TL IS A SYMBOLIC AMOUNT"
İdris Naim Şahin also responded to the question about the lease agreement for the vehicle with license plate 34 SL 313, which caused controversy. Şahin said he rented the vehicle from the company owned by Mehmet Özmen on December 25, 2025, and the annual rental fee was shown as 1,000 TL in the contract. Şahin stated he did not use the vehicle all year round but only paid for the days he used it, and he sent the payments not directly to the company account but in cash via his former advisor Ömür Yücel to Mehmet Özmen. Şahin defended himself by saying, "I use vehicles allocated to my name, but I don't know who used them during periods when they were not in my use."