Seçil Erzan was left alone in the trial! After the verdict, she was overwhelmed with tears.

The trial of bank branch manager Seçil Erzan, who is accused of defrauding more than 30 people, including well-known footballers such as Arda Turan, Fernando Muslera, Emre Belözoğlu, and Selçuk İnan, out of approximately 25 million dollars and 7 million 384 thousand lira by claiming it was a highly profitable and reliable fund that included names like Fatih Terim, continued.

TESTIMONY OF THE UNDETAINED DEFENDANTS WAS TAKEN

In the hearing held by the Istanbul 41st Heavy Penal Court with 8 defendants, detained defendants Seçil Erzan and Ali Yörük were present along with some undetained defendants. The lawyers of the parties also attended the hearing. In the hearing that continued after the break, undetained defendant Rüya Sağır, who made a defense, said, "Fatih Terim, I think, sent me an SMS asking if I could learn the latest status regarding the accounts because he couldn't reach Seçil Erzan. Seçil Erzan told me that if Fatih Terim asks you, you will provide information. When Ms. Seçil told me this, she was on leave. Throughout my banking experience until now, other clients would get information from me about their account statuses via SMS. I don't remember when Seçil Erzan sent me the Excel table that listed the receivables and payables. I was suspended from duty regarding this case on April 12, and later my duty was reinstated. I resigned in October 2023. On April 7, Volkan Bahçekapılı, Emre Belözoğlu, and a few others came to the branch and expressed their complaints about Seçil Erzan," she said.

"I SPOKE WITH SEÇİL, SHE TOLD ME 'MONEY IS GROWING', NEITHER LAND NOR MONEY LEFT"

Victim Sevgi Sini stated in her testimony at the court, "We had a piece of land. My husband sold that land and deposited the money in the bank. Nazlı told us, 'Seçil gives good interest.' So we gave the money to Nazlı. There is neither land nor money left; we withdrew 2 million 250 thousand lira in two installments and gave it to Nazlı. Then I spoke with Seçil. She told me 'the money is growing.' Later, I called to learn the status of the money, and she sent me a wet signed document, saying your money is appreciating. She returned 1 million 300 thousand to me. We bought a house for my son with that," she said.

"I HAVE NOT BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE BANK IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE"

Speaking in the hearing, Erzan stated that she did not know defendant Rüya Sağır, saying, "I am not a fraudster; I have been subjected to mind games within my position and the events. I felt as if I had an obligation to fulfill people's requests. I have never defrauded those who saw me as a sister, brother, or daughter; I have not taken a single penny from anyone. If I were a fraudster, I wouldn't feel this indebted, guilty, and tired. I would do the math and not put myself in a victim position. I was a successful branch manager who worked day and night. For 23 years, I was at the forefront of my job. I did more than I could. I was not supported by the bank in this circumstance where I was trapped. While I was being assaulted in the branch and chaos erupted, everything was ignored," she said.

"I WANT THE BANK TO COMPENSATE FOR THE DAMAGES OF ANYONE WHO IS A VICTIM"

Continuing her defense, Erzan said, "It seems that I am the only one who has victimized everyone in this process, as if I am the only one who took the money. In this case, there are people who are so close to the general manager of this bank that they will meet with each other as families. Among them are people with primary school diplomas, footballers, and master's degree holders; as the money came in, they kept me on a pedestal and wrapped me in cotton. A year and a half of my life has been lost because of the bank. I want the bank to compensate for the damages of anyone who is a victim. If I had taken this money, I would have paid it back. No matter what happens to me, I am not a fraudster. I was very happy when they hired a lawyer. I thought everyone would put their hands under the stone. I think the bank wants justice to decide who is a victim and who really gave money," she expressed.

DEFENDANT ALİ YÖRÜK RELEASED, ERZAN'S DETENTION CONTINUES

The court announced its interim decision, ruling for the release of defendant Ali Yörük under judicial control conditions of 'prohibition of leaving the country' and 'signing three times a week.' The panel ruled that defendant Erzan's detention would continue.

SEÇİL ERZAN COULDN'T HOLD BACK HER TEARS

The court also decided to notify the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the 'destruction, concealment, or alteration of evidence' crime related to the responsible bank employees and ruled that the request to hear Fatih Terim again in court would be rejected when the statements taken were deemed sufficient. The panel ruled that a letter would be sent to the bank to inquire whether there is insurance that protects the risks related to the accounts of account holders in general and whether the insurance company had reported the occurrence of the 'embezzlement' risk concerning the victims. The hearing was adjourned to November 15, 2024. After the announcement of the decision, it was also seen that defendant Erzan was crying.