02.06.2025 13:32
It has emerged that Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was arrested on charges of being the leader of a criminal organization as part of investigations conducted against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), has become a whistleblower. Stating that bribes were requested, Aktaş said, "Payments were not being made to my brothers' companies at ISFALT. Ertan Yıldız and Burak Korzay said it was on the instructions of Ekrem İmamoğlu, and they told me, 'Either you give the money, or you won't receive it.'"
In the investigations conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM), the confession of Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was detained and arrested on January 13 on charges of being the leader of a criminal organization, has emerged from his statement to the prosecutor on May 11.
In his statement, Aktaş said regarding the Avcılar Municipality, "Beşiktaş Municipality Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı requested 5 million 500 thousand lira and a vehicle in exchange for my brothers and relatives to be able to receive the accumulated payment claims at Beşiktaş Municipality, to be used in the election campaign of the Republican People's Party's Avcılar Municipality Candidate Utku Caner Çankaya. 1 million 500 thousand lira of the money was withdrawn in cash by Yusuf Akın and given to Akın Kumanlı, while the remaining 4 million lira was sent to Akın Kumanlı's account by Yusuf Akın on different dates. The receipts of the withdrawn money and the money were handed over to Avcılar Municipality Deputy Mayor Erhan Daka by Akın Kumanlı."
"THEY REQUESTED ADDITIONAL VEHICLES"
Regarding Beyoğlu Municipality, Aktaş stated, "He requested vehicles to be used in the election campaign of the Republican People's Party's Beyoğlu Municipality Candidate İnan Güney. The vehicles provided were given to İnan Güney for use in the election area. My brothers' and relatives' companies had won tenders related to vehicle rentals at Beşiktaş Municipality. The municipality requested additional vehicles from my brothers beyond those included in the tender. None of these vehicles are mentioned in the tender documents. I know that these vehicles were used primarily by the close circle of the president and vice presidents of Beşiktaş Municipality, as well as at the CHP Headquarters and Istanbul Provincial Presidency. I learned that a vehicle was delivered to Hakan Bahçetepe before he became the Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa under the pressure of Beşiktaş Municipality."
"COMPANIES WINNING TENDERS WERE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THE ELECTION"
Aktaş continued his statement by saying: "Before the 2024 local elections, Özgür Karabat called me and said, 'There is an instruction from President Ekrem,' stating that companies that won tenders from CHP municipalities in Istanbul needed to pay for the election, and those who did not pay would not be included in the next term, and their payments would not be made. He conveyed this instruction and asked me for money. At that time, Mustafa Selanik, also known as Mesut Aykın, was with me. The meeting took place at a hotel in Esenyurt."
"THEY WERE PRESSURED TO FULFILL REQUESTS UNDER PAYMENT PRESSURE"
In his statement regarding İETT, Aziz Aktaş said: "The companies Bilginay, owned by my brother, and Elif LPG, owned by me, had won the bus repair, maintenance, and operation tenders at İETT during the AK Party's municipality period. After Ekrem İmamoğlu won the presidency of IMM in the 2019 local elections, many repair, maintenance, and renovation works of garages were given to the company Ulaşım A. Ş., which Özgür Karabat brought in as General Manager through 21-b negotiation tenders. Serious pressure began to be applied to the companies that continued their work during the AK Party period. While Yusuf was giving money to Alper during a meeting in a hotel in Antalya, a video recording was made, and due to the exposure of these matters within the institution, Şefik Ok invited all companies doing maintenance and repair work at İETT to a meeting at the headquarters of the company owned by Menderes Cemaloğlu in Küçükçekmece. In this meeting, Şefik Ok stated that he was assigned by Ekrem İmamoğlu and that a meeting would be held at the presidential residence in Florya. In the meeting held at the presidential residence in Florya, a meeting was held with Ekrem İmamoğlu's advisor İbrahim Bülbüllü, Şefik Ok, Fatih Yadoğlu, Şaban Baka, and Caner Vural. In the meeting, it was stated that if the companies did not accept the requests of the IMM management, they would face significant difficulties during the execution of contracts, and their payments would not be made. The requests were for a 10% payment to be made to them based on the contract amount, and this 10% payment was to be delivered to them in the amounts they requested each time a payment claim was made. The company Ulaşım A. Ş. and Beydağ Ltd. Şti. were trying to further expand the work of Ulaşım A. Ş. in the maintenance and repair tender of Ayazağa Garage, as can be seen in the job transfer protocol. While Ulaşım A. Ş. was increasing the number of garages, the municipality also began to win bus and metrobus sales tenders in addition to maintenance work, allowing them to receive payment claims more easily. Other companies that won work during the AK Party period were constantly pressured to fulfill the mentioned requests. When the tenders held on August 15, 2024, were examined, two tenders were canceled on August 23, 2024, due to a commercial dispute between Ulaşım A. Ş. and the companies owned by Yusuf Yadoğlu, and two tenders were combined and put out to tender again on November 12, 2024. Due to the loss of eligibility of the companies under the control of Yusuf Yadoğlu to bid for these tenders, he personally contacted me, stating that he wanted to participate in these tenders and wanted to form a joint venture with my company Elif A. Ş. I also supported him in this matter. I sent my company manager to Antalya."
"THE MONEY TAKEN FROM US WAS COLLECTED IN A POOL CALLED SYSTEM"
In his confession, Aktaş also mentioned İSFALT: "Payments owed to my brothers' companies at İSFALT, which belongs to IMM, were not being made. Ertan Yıldız and Burak Korzay stated that it was an instruction from Ekrem İmamoğlu, saying, 'Either you give the money, or you will not receive the payments.' Following this, we met with Burak Korzay at a hotel in Kilyos, owned by a friend of Burak Korzay. The three of us sat down with the person I thought was the hotel owner. A few days after this meeting, on January 19, 2024, I personally delivered 970 thousand dollars to the person we had previously met at the hotel. Müslüm Koçer was also with me. Then they collected the money from there. They stated that both at İSFALT and İETT, the money taken from us was collected in a pool they referred to as 'System' and transferred to the relevant places in accordance with the instructions of Ekrem İmamoğlu."
SEYHAN AND CEYHAN MUNICIPALITIES
Aktaş also mentioned the Seyhan and Ceyhan Municipalities in his statement: "Oya Tekin is the Mayor of Seyhan. On July 19, 2024, we met in Ankara with Burhanettin Bulut and Oya Tekin's husband, Celal Tekin (representing Oya Tekin). They demanded 1 million dollars in exchange for the payment of the payment claims belonging to me, my brothers, and my relatives from Seyhan Municipality. As can be seen from the withdrawal times of the money, they stated that the payment claims would not be made without receiving the money. On the same day, a total of 1 million dollars was withdrawn from three different branches in Ankara and delivered to Celal Tekin near the university located in İncek Kızılcaşar, Ankara.
On the same day, a payment of 75 million lira was made. The 1 million dollars delivered to Celal Tekin was shared between Burhanettin Bulut and Celal Tekin. Regarding Ceyhan Municipality, during the previous president Hülya's term, the municipality was working with Barka. In the following term, Kadir Aydar became the mayor. Kadir Aydar came to Istanbul on 21. 7. 2024 - 22. 07. 2024. His father, Mustafa Aydar, came to Istanbul on 25. 07. 2024 - 26. 07. 2024. On 26. 07. 2024, he arrived at the company headquarters located in Koşuyolu. My relatives requested the purchase of 2 apartments registered under the family companies in Yumurtalık for 20 million lira to pay off their receivables from the previous term. On 09. 08. 2024, the title deed of the two apartments was transferred to my nephew Uğur Aktaş with a mortgage. On 14. 08. 2024, a total of 4 million lira was paid for one of the apartments at a market value of 2 million lira. On 06. 11. 2024, I personally delivered 300 thousand dollars withdrawn from the bank to Kadir Aydar in Ankara. It will be seen where I delivered it when looking at the joint HTS records with Kadir Aydar. On 16. 10. 2024, Zafer Yaman, the nephew of Mustafa Aydar, and individuals I remember as Hakan Toprak came to Istanbul. On 17. 10. 2024, 6 million lira was delivered to Zafer Yaman in Koşuyolu. I remember that these individuals stayed at a hotel in Beşiktaş (16-17. 10. 2024). I may have also accommodated them in another hotel. Their hotel registrations can be obtained. The hotel expenses were also covered by us. There is still a mortgage on the title deeds.