25.09.2025 18:31
The trial of social media influencers Beril and Kıvanç Talu, who were arrested on charges of committing fraud amounting to approximately 3 million Turkish Lira under the guise of advertising fees by leveraging their fame on social media, has continued. Considering the duration of the defendants' detention, the court panel decided to release the Talu couple and allow them to be tried without detention.
After collecting approximately 3 million lira under the guise of advertising fees by leveraging their fame on social media, social media influencers Beril and Kıvanç Talu, who were arrested on charges of fraud, have been released.
The couple, Kıvanç Talu and Beril Talu, were detained on January 5, 2024, as they arrived at Sabiha Gökçen Airport from Georgia, accused of fleeing abroad after committing a fraud amounting to approximately 3 million 17 thousand lira.
ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
Beril and Kıvanç Talu, who were questioned by the prosecutor at the Anadolu Courthouse, were arrested by the Magistrate's Court on charges of 'fraud committed by traders or company executives or persons acting on behalf of the company during their commercial activities; fraud by cooperative managers within the scope of the cooperative's activities.'
APPEARED BEFORE THE JUDGE
The trial of the Talu couple continued today at the Istanbul Anadolu 4th High Criminal Court. The detained defendants Kıvanç and Beril Talu were brought from the prison where they were held. The non-detained defendant Ertan Koç, the complainants, and the lawyers were present in the courtroom.
"THERE WAS DEFINITELY NO INTENT TO DEFRAUD"
In his defense, detained defendant Kıvanç Talu stated, "There is no fraud involved. The money taken from the complainants was to finance the advertising work we did. Once we made a profit, we were making payments to the complainants from that money; my wife Beril Talu was handling these matters. I was only generating ideas for agreements with brands and shooting advertising campaigns.
There was definitely no intent to defraud. After a while, when the country experienced an economic crisis, we also had difficulties in receiving and making payments. We were already paying this money. However, we have been in prison for 21 months, which has disrupted the payments. The reason our phones were shut down was the false news that appeared in the media. In fact, false news claiming we were fraudsters came out just two days after we left the country. When our agreements were canceled due to this news, we returned ourselves," he said.
"I DID NOT ACT WITH THE INTENT TO NOT REPAY THE MONEY"
Detained defendant Beril Talu stated in her defense, "I do not have a power of attorney that I obtained to run the company's business. I did not write the company's name in the WhatsApp information messages or other notifications to the complainants. When I first contacted some of the complainants, they were already sending money with the condition of repayment with interest. I definitely did not act with the intent to not repay the money," she said.
THEY WERE RELEASED
Considering the possibility that the nature and quality of the crime of 'Qualified Fraud' attributed to all defendants could change to 'Simple Fraud,' the court decided to send the file to the prosecutor's office for the application of reconciliation provisions in case of a change in the crime, by majority vote. Taking into account the duration of the defendants' detention, the court ruled for the release of Beril Talu and Kıvanç Talu. One member of the panel of judges dissented from the release decision.