02.01.2026 15:00
At the Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, 3,300 safes were robbed. Victims, stating that nearly all of the safes belonged to Turks and Arabs, indicated that the thieves carried out this robbery knowing to whom the safes in the branch belonged.
In the city of Gelsenkirchen in western Germany, thieves broke into the bank's safes on a main street using a large drill and stole cash and valuables worth 30 million dollars.
"HOW CAN A STATE BANK BE ROBBED SO EASILY?"
The victims of the bank robbery, Ünal Mete, Cihat Erhan Bostancı, Güngör Kalın, and Emre Yıldırım, told AA reporters about their experiences. Ünal Mete, who said they couldn't believe it when they first heard the news of the robbery, stated, "How can a state bank in Germany be robbed so easily? The safes with customers were robbed, but the main safe, which is the bank's own safe, was untouched. The thieves left casually."
Mete claimed that the bank did not contact them after the robbery and expressed that they had not received any information about whether the grievances would be addressed.
"THERE MAY BE INTENT IN CHOOSING THIS BRANCH"
Mete expressed his suspicion that the Sparkasse bank branch in Gelsenkirchen was deliberately chosen for the robbery, saying:
"I believe that the selection of this branch was not a coincidence. Because approximately 95% of the safes contain deposits from people of foreign origin. I think this was known consciously and therefore targeted. The safes in this branch are predominantly preferred by customers of Turkish and Arab origin, which is also clearly visible legally. Because in the customer records of the rented safes, Turkish names like Ömer Faruk and Ünal Mete are present. These individuals go to the bank with their Turkish identities to rent the safes. Therefore, I believe that a conscious operation was carried out because the customer profile of the branch is known."
ONLY ONE GERMAN IN THE VICTIM PLATFORM
Mete pointed out that it is unknown how much was inside the bank safes and emphasized that the people renting the safes put in large sums of money. He explained that the victims came together through a platform, stating, "There is a victim group of thousands of people, and there is only one German in this group. About 95% of the rest are Turkish, and 5% are of Arab origin. People work to secure their future, save money. They convert the money they save by cutting back on food and drink into gold and put it in banks. Because they think there is no safer place than a bank."
"Much more than the insurance money was stolen"
MUCH MORE THAN THE INSURANCE MONEY WAS STOLEN
Mete stated that the German government and the bank are trying to portray the robbery as an ordinary judicial case, emphasizing that the system does not seem to address the grievances. He recalled that the bank insured the safes for 10,000 euros when renting them, and there was no other guarantee, saying, "We pay an annual fee for the bank to protect our valuables. They couldn't do this, and we only have a very low amount of insurance policy. Much more than the insurance money has gone from our safes as all victims. We are helpless. Neither the German media nor the German news is telling us anything."
Mete mentioned that the bank said it did not know what was inside the safes and that they needed to bring an invoice for that, arguing that they had put gold received as gifts or bought with cash into the safes, and there would be no notarized document for these.
REQUEST FOR LEGAL SUPPORT
Mete pointed out that the German authorities have not taken any steps to address their grievances, concluding his remarks as follows:
"We want the Republic of Turkey to somehow help us. What I mean by help is this: We want to fully exercise our rights legally. We are expatriate citizens, and all our dreams have been shattered with this incident. First of all, we demand that our elders from our own country stand by us in this legal process."
"THERE ARE BIG QUESTION MARKS"
Victim Cihat Erdem Bostancı, who stated that he works in the construction sector, emphasized that this robbery was carried out with professional machines. Bostancı claimed that the thieves had to work for at least two hours to drill through the bank wall, saying:
"I estimate that a drilling machine of about 400 millimeters was used. As seen in the images, holes were drilled from two different points. Drilling a single hole takes at least an hour. Additionally, about 200 to 400 liters of water are needed for these operations. Electricity is required. I don't even want to get into the noise issue; a noise of at least 100 decibels is generated. This noise level can be compared to that of a disco. Also, a large amount of dust is produced. The point we don't understand is: With such intense dust, high noise, water, and electricity usage, how did no one hear, feel, or notice the vibrations? This is a big question mark for us."
Bostancı stated that his request to increase the insurance limit before placing valuables in the bank was rejected, saying, "I was one of the first people to go to the scene on Monday. The statement made by the bank officer was quite surprising. They said, 'It will be evaluated whether you are a victim here or not.'"
Bostancı expressed his confusion about how such noise and dust during the Christmas holiday went unreported, stating:
"How can such an event go unnoticed and unreported in Germany on a sacred holiday like Christmas? Even if you drill a hole in your house with a normal drill on the weekend, the police knock on your door. Here, large-scale construction machines are used, excessive noise is generated, but no one hears anything, and no report goes to the police."
"THERE IS NEGLIGENCE OR COMPLICITY"
Victim Güngör Kalın complained about the attitude of the bank employees towards them, stating, "It is not the bank that was robbed here, but the personal safes of people. This distinction needs to be made especially. I do not accept the bank officer's statement, 'We are very happy that the bank was not robbed.' There are 3,330 safes inside, and about 90% of them belong to Turks and other people of foreign origin. I see this as a personal insult."
Kalın noted that the failure of the bank alarm to go off is unacceptable and pointed out that the fact that the thieves knew the exact location of the safes made the situation even more suspicious.
Güngör Kalın reminded that there is a police station about 200 meters away from the bank, sharing the following information: "There is a police station about 200 meters away from the bank. If the alarm had gone off, the police would have reached the scene within two minutes. Therefore, I think the bank has negligence or complicity in this matter. To be frank, I believe that very large structures are involved in this incident."
Alman medyası buraya geliyor, bizimle röportaj yapıyor. We are watching the news, but only half of what we say is published. Most of it is cut out. Moreover, the bank's private parking lot was used for access to the scene. No one other than bank employees can enter this parking lot. The barrier opens with a card. Someone enters by scanning the card. So where did this card come from? This remains a very serious question that needs to be answered. "
"QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED AND THIS INCREASES OUR SUSPICIONS"
Emre Yıldırım stated that he and his family are among the victims and that they have been using this bank for three generations, saying, "The bank here does not belong to individuals; it belongs to the state and the municipality. I want to emphasize this especially. No official statement has been made. Neither the mayor nor his assistants have come. This is a scandal in itself. Because with so many safes being robbed, it is unacceptable for a mayor not to make a single statement to the public."
"OFFICIAL AUTHORITIES ARE NOT INTERESTED"
Yıldırım expressed that they could not find any information about the robbery on the official website of the state and municipality, pointing out that the official authorities are not interested in them. Yıldırım stated that he received a rejection when he went to increase the insurance limit, saying, "I was told clearly, 'No thief can pass through this door, no one can rob this bank.' However, we see that not only the doors but also the camera systems need to be kept up to date. Because the alarm system did not work, no alarm went off."
THIEVES SEEMED TO HAVE FOUND THE SAFES AS IF PLACED BY HAND
Yıldırım explained that they learned that one of the alarms went off and that the fire department team returned without even getting out of the vehicle, stating that this is a very serious weakness that needs to be explained.
Yıldırım emphasized that many people could be involved in this robbery and concluded his remarks as follows:
"At this point, I think that not only the perpetrators but also some employees at the bank and even some individuals working in the security units could be involved in this. Because it seems as if they reached the safes, which have been there for years, by breaking through the wall. How is the location of that room and the position of the safes known so clearly? All these questions remain unanswered, and this further increases our suspicions."
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