04.08.2026 20:01
Journalist Tahir Sarıkaya, arrested on extortion charges, confessed one by one in his prosecutor's statement from whom he received how much money. Sarıkaya, whose confessions regarding Haluk Levent and Cem Küçük drew attention, said, 'The money I received from Cem Küçük was for debts and joint program payments; I admit that I facilitated meetings between him and businesspeople and lawyers. The 100,000 lira I received from Haluk Levent was not for PR work or organization money, but as a 'scholarship' for my son's school expenses.'
Journalist Tahir Sarikaya was taken into custody by teams from the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau regarding journalist Cem Kucuk. It was learned that during the investigation, high-amount money inflows and transfers of unknown origin were detected in Sarikaya's accounts, and it was determined that some of these transfers were transferred to cryptocurrency accounts. After the procedures at the gendarmerie were completed, Sarikaya was referred to the courthouse.
ARRESTED FOR BLACKMAIL
Tahir Sarikaya, who was referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace with a request for arrest after the statements at the prosecutor's office, was arrested on charges of 'blackmail'.
Sarikaya made striking confessions in his statement at the prosecutor's office. The details regarding Cem Kucuk and Haluk Levent in Sarikaya's statement, where he listed one by one from whom and how much money he received, drew attention.
"I INTRODUCED CEM KUCUK TO BUSINESS PEOPLE"
According to what journalist Rojda Altintas reported, Sarikaya said the following in his statement: "I have never used drugs in any period of my life, and I have not introduced people for personal gain and made unjust profit. The money I received from Cem Kucuk is for debts and joint program payments; I admit that I introduced him to business people and lawyers.
"I USED THE 100 THOUSAND LIRAS I RECEIVED FROM HALUK LEVENT FOR MY SON'S SCHOOL EXPENSES"
The 100 thousand liras I received from Haluk Levent, I took not as PR work or organization money, but as a 'scholarship' for my son's school expenses. I received 21 separate payments from Fatih Eke in return for product advertisements and social media posts. I received high-amount transfers 64 times from Serdar Ozyurt in return for the PR and promotion activities I carried out on Instagram. There are more than 300 money movements between me and Serdar Ozyurt's private assistant Ismail Canak.
"I DELIVERED 720 THOUSAND LIRAS BY HAND AT A HOTEL"
I delivered the 720 thousand liras that Cihan Eksioglu sent to my account by hand to another person at a hotel in Ankara. I do not accept the transaction volume of 27.5 million liras seen in my crypto account; since interest is forbidden in my religion, I use crypto. Despite using crypto out of religious sensitivity, I spent the money I sent to Cyprus on going with a family friend to play games for entertainment purposes."