03.02.2025 16:58
Famous singer Merve Özbey's husband, Kenan Koçak, and the 3rd Class Police Chief of Edirne, Mehmet Deniz Karakurt, are accused of assisting Turan Yıldırım, a member of a criminal organization, in fleeing abroad. After being interrogated at the Istanbul Organized Crime Unit, Koçak was brought to court, where he stated in his testimony that he saw Yıldırım for the first time on the day of the incident and that he was unaware of his fugitive status.
```html
Seven suspects, including Edirne's 3rd Class Police Chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt, who assisted in the escape of Turan Yıldırım, a member of the criminal organization called "Sarallar," and famous singer Merve Özbey's husband Kenan Koçak, were sent to the courthouse. The police statement of suspect Kenan Koçak has been obtained.
The interrogations of the seven suspects, including famous singer Merve Özbey's husband Kenan Koçak and 3rd Class Police Chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt from the Edirne Provincial Police Department, who were involved in the escape of criminal organization member Turan Yıldırım, have been completed at the Istanbul Organized Crime Unit.
"I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS A FUGITIVE"
The suspects, whose police interrogations have been completed, were sent to the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan this morning. The statements given by suspect Kenan Koçak have been obtained. In his statement, Koçak mentioned that he has known Ener Aktaş since he was 10 years old and that he was involved in buying and selling cars and houses. It was learned that Kenan Koçak, who said he had known Police Chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt for 1-2 years, stated, "I have met with the police chief a maximum of 3-4 times. There is no commercial relationship or animosity between us. I do not know Turan Yıldırım at all. I saw him for the first time on the day of the incident. Moreover, I didn't even know he was a fugitive," he reportedly stated.
"WE LEFT TURAN YILDIRIM AT THE BORDER GATE"
Suspect Kenan Koçak recounted the following in his statement:
"The day before the incident, my friend Ener Aktaş called me. He said, 'Shall I take you on vacation to Greece?' I said it might be possible. The next morning, I went to Ener's house in Ataşehir. Then we went downstairs. Ener and Turan Yıldırım, whom I did not know, started talking. Then we got into the police chief's car. I sat in the front. I turned around and asked the unfamiliar Turan Yıldırım, 'Are you coming with us? Do you have a passport and visa?' He showed an English visa. Then we headed towards İpsala. We arrived at the border. We handed our documents to the officer, and then we crossed into the Greek border. There, the Greek police asked for our documents, and we submitted them again. The Greek officer said that I and Ener could pass, but Turan Yıldırım could not. Because his passport appeared to be lost in the system. Turan Yıldırım told us, 'Leave me at the free shop; I will call a vehicle,' and we left him there."
It was learned that Kenan Koçak stated that after this incident, he later crossed into Greece with Ener Aktaş and that they returned to Turkey after spending 2 days on vacation.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On December 28 in Istanbul, an operation was carried out against the Sarallar criminal organization, and it was understood that Turan Yıldırım, one of the important figures of the organization, who had an arrest warrant against him, had been smuggled abroad. It was determined that those who facilitated the escape of the key figure of the gang were 3rd Class Police Chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt and famous singer Merve Özbey's husband Kenan Koçak. In the investigation conducted by the Organized Crimes Investigation Office of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the "Sarallar criminal organization," an operation was carried out to capture 51 suspects involved in 14 actions such as "establishing a criminal organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "managing," "being a member," "qualified robbery," "deprivation of liberty," "threat," and "intentional injury," resulting in the capture of 31 suspects. It was reported that 20 people, including Turan Yıldırım, who is alleged to have assisted in the escape of Police Chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt, could not be found. In the work carried out by the Istanbul Police Department's Organized Crime Unit to capture the fugitive suspects, it was determined that Turan Yıldırım had fled abroad through illegal means, while Police Chief Mehmet Deniz Karakurt and the 7 suspects accompanying him were sent to the Istanbul Courthouse this morning after their statements were completed.
```