The owner of Köfteci Yusuf, Yusuf Akkaş, who fed pork to a citizen, has broken his silence.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's list of counterfeit and adulterated products, which was published for the first time on October 2, revealed that many businesses, including the famous restaurant chain Köfteci Yusuf, used pork meat.

HE HAD DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR

Yusuf Akkaş, the owner of Köfteci Yusuf, which was also included in the Ministry's "Foods That Endanger Health" list, had virtually disappeared after the news broke.

"I HAVE NO POLITICAL POWER, I AM IN MY BUSINESS"

Breaking his silence today to Sözcü TV, Yusuf Akkaş stated, "I don't know what has been brought upon me. I reported the incident to justice; I have no political power, I am someone who is in my business and my bread. We have 280 workplaces across the country. 12,000 people work with me. There are more than 700 food engineers and veterinarians. Even if you attempted to do something like this among them, you wouldn't be able to."

"I AM A STRANGE BIRD"

I am a strange bird; I will not allow a stain on the faces of the 12,000 people who work with me. I will do my utmost to clarify this incident as soon as possible. "The bad are smarter than the good, but the good always win in the end," he expressed.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Following the publication of the list of counterfeit and adulterated products by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the claim that Köfteci Yusuf used pork meat became a trending topic on social media. In a statement made after the allegations, Köfteci Yusuf stated that no pork meat was used in their products, saying, "No negative results were encountered during the inspections conducted on-site at our production facility by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and the District Directorate following the analysis results that contained irregularities and did not reflect the truth. Pork meat has never been used in our products. It is assessed that the analysis results do not reflect the material truth, and such a result has emerged due to the actions of malicious individuals or as a result of analysis tests conducted through what is known as genetic testing, in which our company has no involvement."

THEY ACCUSED THE MINISTRY OF A "DARK PLOT"

The statement continued: "The reason we have not made any statements until now is that we do not want to negatively affect the ongoing legal processes and the judiciary. However, at this stage, due to the leak of confidential documents belonging to the Ministry to the press, we felt the necessity to make this statement upon the intense demands of our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and all our friends who have devoted themselves to our brand. We are striving with all our strength and belief to uncover this dark plot. We hope that everyone who has been following this issue from the beginning will support the clarification of this matter until the end."

THE MINISTRY INCLUDED IT IN THE LIST

The number of products that have been altered and modified in a way that endangers the lives and health of individuals has increased to 72, while the number of products confirmed to have been counterfeited and adulterated has risen to 552, as shared on the website "güvenilirgida.tarimorman.gov.tr" by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. It was reported that during inspections conducted in February at two branches of the business in Bursa Yenişehir, pork meat was found in meatballs and beef döner products. For this reason, the company's mentioned establishments were added to the "Foods That Endanger Health" section.