15.07.2026 12:50
Haluk Levent, who was referred to the courthouse as part of the investigation into Ahbap Association, clarified the earthquake donations collected in his statement to the police. Stating that approximately 4 billion 300 million TL in donations were collected in the association's accounts during the 2023 earthquake period, Levent emphasized that nearly all of this money was spent on the disaster region within two years, saying, "To prevent any illegality, we submitted all invoices and documents to the Ministry of Interior and the regional governorates."
Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the Ahbap Association, 23 suspects, including artist and association president Haluk Levent, were referred to the courthouse after their procedures at the police station. In his statement at the police station, Haluk Levent explained how much aid was collected domestically and abroad for the association’s accounts through the aid campaigns carried out by the AHBAP association, and where these aid funds were spent.
PROCEDURES AT THE FINANCIAL CRIME UNIT COMPLETED
Acting on the instructions of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Branch had detained 24 suspects within the scope of the investigation into the Ahbap Association. After their interrogation and procedures at the police station, 23 of the suspects were referred to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan following a health check in the morning hours. It was reported that 1 suspect in custody was directly released after their procedures at the police station.
HOW MUCH AID DID THEY COLLECT?
It was learned that Ahbap Association President Haluk Levent, who was referred to the courthouse, provided detailed explanations in his statement at the police station regarding the amount of aid received in the association's accounts and where it was spent. Stating that the earthquake aid collected was managed transparently, Levent gave the following information in his statement: "I announced the details live on my personal accounts Twitter (@haluklevent) and Instagram (@haluklevent), but I estimate that around 4.3 billion TL came in for the 2023 earthquake period. There may be minor changes in the figures; the accounting records know the exact amount. We had announced with documents that 4 billion of this amount was spent that year."
"SO THERE IS NO ILLEGAL ACTIVITY"
Emphasizing that all financial data of the association undergoes strict government audits, Levent added that the collected aid was used in the earthquake region under the coordination of governorates: "All invoices are available at the Ministry of Interior Associations Desk within the 2023 financial audit. Additionally, audits of 2024 and 2025 financial reports are also available at the Ministry of Interior Associations Desk. Almost all of the incoming aid funds were used in our work in the earthquake region within 2 years. To ensure there is no illegal activity, all invoices and delivery receipts are recorded in the governorates of Kahramanmaraş, Malatya, Gaziantep, Hatay, Osmaniye, and Adana."
Here is the full text of Haluk Levent's statement:
"I manage the accounts at Vakıfbank and Halkbank registered under the name of Yeliz KAYA. The money I earn from concerts goes into these accounts, and I use the funds. I do not use a bank account in my own name. I have an account at brokerage firms registered under the name of Zafer YAY. I had a credit card from Halkbank registered in my name in the past, but it is currently closed, and I do not use credit cards.
"I HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE CHECKS IN AHBAP"
I have been the president of the Ahbap association since its establishment. I have had no other role. There is a checkbook at Vakıfbank in the name of Ahbap Economic Enterprise. There is no checkbook at any bank in the name of Ahbap Association or Ahbap Logistics. The authority to issue checks belongs to me. I have used checks for logistics activities outside the Ahbap Association, but I have also used them as personal collateral checks.
No checks were issued in the name of Ahbap Association employees. Promissory notes were given to other organizations in 2026 in exchange for property purchases. Transfers for the properties were to be made in November 2026. I will explain the details in court."
"THE REASON I AM HERE..."
The reason I am here is related to a situation that began in 2026. To generate income for the Ahbap association, I wanted to give 20 properties worth 150 million TL at current prices to the Ahbap association for 80 million TL, and I had a board decision recorded in the association's decision book for this. The 80 million is my money. In return, there are 20 apartments belonging to Ahbap. Although we applied for the 20 apartments at the Çerkezköy Land Registry Office in the name of the Ahbap Association about 3 months ago, they could not be obtained. The reason for this is that we were told, 'Once the Ahbap General Assembly is held, followed by an application to the provincial directorate of associations, the title deed procedures will be carried out immediately.' So we convened the general assembly. We made a decision regarding the properties at the general assembly, and we applied 2 days before my detention for the delivery of the 20 apartments. There is a board decision containing the block and parcel information of the said properties. This decision is in the association's decision book that was seized by the police department.
"IF THE OPERATION HAD BEEN ONE DAY LATER, PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DETAINED"
Based on this, our board member Yusuf Can ERTİT was waiting at the Çerkezköy Deputy Director of Land Registry to acquire the apartments. It wasn't finished by Friday. If it had been completed on Friday, July 10, 2026, the 80 million TL that has been coming to Yeliz KAYA for a year would have been legally closed with interest. But since it wasn't completed, the 80 million TL coming to Yeliz KAYA—my money—wherever it was used over the months, is now being treated as if it involves being a member of an organization. If I had been detained today, Tuesday, July 14, 2026, no money would have been withdrawn from the Ahbap Association. But the operation was conducted on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at noon, contrary to the nature of things, just so everyone would be considered organization members and everyone would be taken in. If they had waited one more day, the money transferred from Ahbap Association to Yeliz KAYA would have rendered the operation pointless, and people would not have been detained. This is a deliberate, intentional operation.
"I COULD NOT MANAGE MYSELF OR MY AFFAIRS PROPERLY"
As Haluk LEVENT, unfortunately, I could not manage myself, my surroundings, or my affairs properly. I used Ahbap checks and promissory notes as collateral in some places. I incurred a large amount of debt. You can call this irregularity, but you cannot call it corruption. I was already on track to correct everything that appears irregular by the end of this year by recording it in the Ahbap books, but this was not allowed. After this point, any questions you ask or have will have no meaning beyond the explanations I will provide below."
So why did these checks and promissory notes start being issued? In the interrogation report, the result cannot be explained without the reason. Everything grew one after another. The events we experienced during the earthquake period dragged me into an inextricable situation.
I already have a dirty weakness for trading in the stock market. The economic costs brought by the first two years of the earthquake caused me to trade more in the stock market and take more risks. I always borrowed this money. I never took money from the Ahbap association and gambled. If they claim such a thing, the Chief Inspectors of the Ministry of Interior should resign first. Because all activity reports of the Ahbap association, which our citizens supported with their sweat and the contributions of our little children in 2023, 2024, and 2025, have been audited, and no irregularities were found. This was communicated not by me but by the reports of the Ministry of Interior inspectors. These reports are available at the relevant institution and can be clearly seen every year on the official social media of the Ahbap association. They can open and see that right now.
"WHICH ASSOCIATION LACKS DEFICIENCIES?"
My issue is for the year 2026. There are deficiencies in Ahbap. Which association or foundation doesn't have them? But I would have already completed the deficiencies by the time of the next inspection. For some reason (I will explain this in detail on social media), the 20 apartments I was going to give in return for this 80 million TL debt were blocked one day before the title deed transfer by some hand, and I, along with dozens of others, were detained.
BAŞARAN'S CLAIM QUESTIONED
The investigation into the Ahbap Association was initiated based on a complaint by businessman Hüseyin Başaran, who claimed fraud under the name of Haluk Levent. According to the allegation, Başaran donated real estate worth 60 million dollars with the promise of building dormitories for girls, but he applied to the prosecutor's office, arguing that these properties were not used for their intended purpose. In his testimony, Levent answered the question regarding Başaran as follows:
"The matter between me and Hüseyin Başaran, one of the complainants in the file, concerns a real estate trade receivables/payables issue. There is no fraud involved. I consider this to be a legal dispute. Additionally, the properties in question are not of the claimed value. I have also made partial payments. I do not wish to make any further statements regarding the alleged accusations. "
WHAT HAPPENED?
In the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the claim that "donations collected for the Ahbap Association were transferred to the suspects' accounts," many suspects, including the association's founder, singer Haluk Levent, were detained.
HIGH-VALUE MONEY MOVEMENTS
In the investigation, as a result of MASAK reports prepared for Ahbap Association employees, analysis of account movements, and technical and physical surveillance studies, it was determined that the suspects had high-value money movements inconsistent with their financial profiles, carried out high-amount money transfers among themselves, transferred large sums to gambling accounts and placed bets, thereby losing significant amounts of money, and also conducted a chain of numerous title deed transfers among themselves in a short period of time.