29.07.2025 21:00
In the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), detained businessman Murat Kapki, who provided testimony under the effective remorse provision, made striking allegations. Kapki stated, "I spoke with Serdal Taşkın, the General Manager of Kültür AŞ. He also told me that if I want to stay in the pool and get permission from the municipality, I need to pay 7 million lira."
In the corruption investigation against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), detained businessman Murat Kapki, who provided a statement under the effective remorse provisions, claimed, "I spoke with the General Manager of Culture Inc., Serdal Taşkın. He also told me that if I want to stay in the pool and get permission from the municipality, I need to pay 7 million lira." I reacted to this and left there.
The investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office continues against suspects, including Ekrem İmamoğlu, who was removed from his position as IMM President after his arrest, on charges of "being a leader of a criminal organization," "being a member of a criminal organization," "bribery," "qualified fraud," "illegally obtaining personal data," and "interfering with a tender."
DETAINED BUSINESSMAN GAVE A STATEMENT
Detained businessman Murat Kapki, whose statement was taken on June 24 under the effective remorse provisions, provided a statement. Kapki stated that before the 2019 elections, he was the representative of companies named "Sim Media" and "MSO," and after the elections, he was told by Eyüp Subaşı (a suspect) that the companies registered in IMM's pool needed to pay 7 million lira, otherwise they would be removed from the IMM pool.
ALLEGATION OF 7 MILLION LIRA CORRUPTION
Later, Kapki recounted that he was invited to Culture Inc. by the assistant of Serdal Taşkın (former General Manager of Culture Inc. - suspect) who called him, saying, "I met with the General Manager of Culture Inc., Serdal Taşkın. He also told me that if I want to stay in the pool and get permission from the municipality, I need to pay 7 million lira." I reacted to this and left there.
"I KNOW THAT THE COLLECTED MONEY WAS CONVERTED TO CASH THROUGH FAKE INVOICES"
Murat Kapki stated that he conveyed this situation to his 30-year-old friend Hüseyin Köksal (a suspect) and asked for his help, continuing as follows:
"He told me that he would call Murat Ongun (IMM President Advisor and Media Inc. Board Chairman - suspect) to inform him of the situation. When I asked, 'Isn't Fatih Keleş involved in these matters? Why don't you call him?' he said, 'Fatih is a money man; he never gives discounts.' According to what I learned from Köksal, he called Ongun and reduced the price to 6 million lira. I paid this amount by issuing a check based on the invoice that Culture Inc. had issued. I remember that Culture Inc. sent the invoice related to this payment with descriptions like 'graphic design fee,' 'drone fee' in the explanation section. Additionally, they made me sign a collusive contract regarding this matter with the title 'graphic design fee,' 'drone fee.' I did not receive any services or goods related to the matters stated in the contract. I know that the money collected from advertisers at Culture Inc. was converted to cash through fake invoices."
HE EXPLAINED THE BACKGROUND OF THE PARTNERSHIP
Suspect Kapki explained that in 2020, Köksal offered him to establish a company together, with 80% of the shares belonging to Ahmet Köksal and 20% to himself, and that he made Hüseyin Köksal a partner in the company.
In May 2024, he stated that Hüseyin Köksal took the 80% share in his name, and after this partnership, Köksal told him that they would participate in the tenders to be held by the municipality and would get jobs from there, claiming that the reason for making him a partner in the company was his strong relations with the current mayor and administration.
"ALL COMPANIES THAT BAĞDATLI IS A PARTNER OF ACTUALLY BELONG TO MURAT ONGUN"
Kapki noted that Köksal had a rental apartment in a shopping mall and made the following statements:
"I know that almost every day, Murat Ongun, Emrah Bağdatlı (a fugitive suspect), and Ahmet Köksal would sit there and hold meetings about secret matters. I suspect that Hüseyin Köksal is secretly giving money to Murat Ongun and other individuals here. Regarding concerts, events, and national holidays, Murat Ongun manages the process through Emrah Bağdatlı. He has companies that he effectively owns in this area. All companies that Emrah Bağdatlı is a partner of actually belong to Murat Ongun. I know this because I heard it from Hüseyin Köksal. Despite Emrah Bağdatlı having no official position in IMM and its subsidiaries, he has a personally allocated room in the communication office located in Sütlüce.
In December 2024, Hüseyin Köksal informed me that there was an investigation against us, saying, 'I am solving it, I am handling it.' Following this, in January 2025, I called a person named Çetin to meet again. In this meeting, he told me that in exchange for giving him 100 thousand dollars, he could find out who was on the list and what the situation was, and if I was on the list, he could remove my name from it for a fee he would determine. I accepted this offer, but he asked for the money upfront. I told him that I would not give the money without him providing the necessary information. Çetin then left my company, saying that we are not working with you anymore."
Kapki explained the "system" in IMM in his second statement.
HE GAVE A SECOND STATEMENT
Suspect Kapki stated on July 18 that he wanted to give a second statement to the prosecutor's office and wanted to convey some additional matters.
In his second statement, Kapki said, "Hüseyin Köksal transferred 60% of the profit obtained from the mentioned tenders to Ekrem İmamoğlu (the system) through Murat Ongun. I know this because Hüseyin Köksal personally told me. I also know that the money accumulated within the system was used for the construction of Ekrem İmamoğlu's political future, the purchase of Olay TV, and the acquisition of the building where the History magazine is located in Taksim Gümüşsuyu, as Hüseyin Köksal explained to me."
"A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY WILL BE COLLECTED OPENLY"
Kapki recounted that suspect Köksal told him that towards the end of 2021, Murat Ongun wanted to give them digital advertising spaces and asked for 65 million lira openly in return, stating that they should reject this offer as they thought they would not be able to make a profit.
Kapki recorded in his statement: "Later, according to what I heard from Hüseyin Köksal, they gave this place to İlbaklar in exchange for 75 million lira in cash. When I told Hüseyin Köksal that we needed to participate in the billboard tender that İlbaklar had won, which is the subject of the deposit report in the file, he told me, 'Let's not enter this tender; Murat Ongun will give this tender to İlbaklar, and in return, he will collect a large amount of money openly.'"