22.04.2026 20:28
A businessman who testified as a witness in a bribery investigation targeting Uşak Municipality claimed that he was attacked at a gas station on the orders of Özkan Yalım, who was arrested, and that he reported the situation to CHP Deputy Ali Karaboa. The businessman stated, 'Karaboa responded by saying, "Özgür Özel is afraid of Özkan Yalım; Özkan has something on Özgür Özel. Because of this, he cannot do anything."'
In the bribery investigation targeting the Uşak Municipality, businessman A. K, who testified as a witness, claimed that the detained suspect Murat Altınkaya, the driver of the suspended Mayor Özkan Yalım, told him that Yalım received dollars equivalent to 20 million lira from a businessman in exchange for a promise of a parliamentary seat.
The investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the crimes of "bribery," "extortion," and "bid rigging" against the Uşak Municipality continues. A. K, who testified as a "witness" within the scope of the investigation, stated that he is a businessman operating in the fuel sector.
A. K stated that he knew Özkan Yalım because there was an entertainment venue next to his fuel station in Uşak and due to Yalım's status as mayor.
"THEY ATTACKED ME ON ÖZKAN YALIM'S ORDERS"
A. K, who mentioned that a drug incident had previously occurred at his station in Uşak, that attempts were made to take his business away, that an investigation was conducted regarding the matter, and that security forces were stationed at the station for protection, said: "Özkan Yalım was uncomfortable with the fact that there was a gendarmerie presence 24/7 at my station because his nightclub was located next to my station. He was asking me questions like, 'Why is this gendarmerie here, why are they protecting you?' In August 2024, because the gendarmerie protection was removed, the personnel protecting the entertainment venue attacked me on Yalım's orders. After this incident, Yalım tried to reconcile with me by registering my name at his own nightclub for 10 days so that I wouldn't file a complaint. Inside the venue, it was written: 'We apologize to the A. family from A. K.'"
The witness claimed that there is also video footage of this writing and that CHP MP Ali Karaoba requested this recording from him.
"ÖZGÜR ÖZEL CAN'T DO ANYTHING"
A. K used the following expressions in his statement: "He later said he showed this video to Özgür Özel. I told Ali Karaoba, 'The person you had elected as mayor here is having businessmen threatened, having them beaten, trying to intimidate them with blackmail, and later, to extricate himself from this, he offers me 50 million lira, proposes tenders from the municipality. He is trying to use public resources to reconcile with me. Convey these to the Party Chairman.' Ali Karaoba also told me he would discuss it. After a while, he got back to me saying, 'Özgür Özel is afraid of Özkan Yalım, Özkan has something on Özgür Özel. That's why he can't do anything.' Upon this response, I cut off contact with him."
"PROMISE OF A PARLIAMENTARY SEAT IN EXCHANGE FOR 20 MILLION LIRA"
The witness A. K, who claimed that from December 2025 onwards, Yalım's driver, the detained suspect Murat Altınkaya, came and went to him and made statements about Yalım extorting people and defrauding the state, recorded the following:
"Murat Altınkaya told me that in September 2025, they went with Özkan Yalım to the place of businessman M. Ç, who operates in Uşak, that Yalım promised M. Ç a parliamentary seat from the CHP, that he would organize the parliamentary seat matter by talking to the headquarters, and that for this, M. Ç needed to give cash dollars equivalent to 20 million lira to be delivered to the headquarters for Özgür Özel, that Yalım and M. Ç had previously discussed these matters and agreed on the parliamentary seat and the amount of money, and that M. Ç delivered the dollars he had prepared, equivalent to 20 million lira, in cash to them at their workplace."
"THEY LEFT THE MONEY IN ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S OFFICE AND LEFT"
Altınkaya stated that M. Ç is involved in the textile business, that they took the money inside a blanket together with Yalım and left from there, that afterwards Yalım took the money out of the blanket, that they left the blanket at one of their stations, and then they set off for Ankara with Yalım, that they first stopped by the CHP Headquarters, that Yalım took the money from the car and they went together to Özgür Özel's private secretary, that Yalım entered Özel's office with the money, that he waited outside, and that after a while, Yalım came out leaving the money in Özel's office."
"APARTMENTS WERE PURCHASED IN THE NAME OF CİHAN ARAS WITH 40 MILLION LIRA"
Witness A. K narrated that Altınkaya said they stayed in Ankara with Yalım for about 1 week afterwards, that during this process Yalım withdrew approximately 40 million lira in cash piece by piece from his company accounts, that with this money they purchased different apartments in the name of suspect Cihan Aras, and that afterwards they returned to Uşak together.
Expressing that he told Altınkaya he should file a complaint about this matter, A. K used the following statements: "However, Murat Altınkaya told me that there is a prosecutor in the Uşak Chief Public Prosecutor's Office who is close to Özkan Yalım and the CHP, that if he went to file a complaint, Yalım would immediately find out, and that's why he couldn't file a complaint because he was anxious. Altınkaya even told me that when officials from the Court of Accounts came, he told them exactly the same story he told me, but that these Court of Accounts officials were hosted by Yalım in the evening."
Witness A. K claimed that the wedding of the daughter of a district police chief in Uşak was held at Yalım's nightclub, that Yalım told the police chief he was close to, 'Many police officers were dismissed because of the incidents at A. K's station, why aren't you getting this man out of here? He's still doing business here.', and that Yalım said he would give a vehicle worth 4 million lira in return, as Altınkaya told him.
"YALIM HAS PEOPLE HE CANNOT AGREE WITH THREATENED"
Witness A. K, who claimed that M. Ö, the manager of the Kayaağıl Thermal Facilities affiliated with the Uşak Municipality, is the person who does Yalım's dirty work, said the following:
"Özkan Yalım has businessmen, journalists, personnel, or managers he cannot agree with threatened through a person named M. Ö., trying to intimidate them by having blackmail done. On November 30, 2025, I had dinner at a restaurant in Uşak with journalist İ. E. K. and my 2 lawyers. About 5 minutes after leaving the restaurant, İ. E. K. called me and said that 2 people attacked him, beat him, and that 1 person recorded it on video. Afterwards, I went to him, called the police, and the necessary routine procedures regarding the incident were carried out. The 2 individuals caught responsible for this assault gave statements claiming that I gave the order for the attack on İ. E. K. The person who organized this is again the individual named M. Ö. The lawyers of these 2 suspects are Özkan Yalım's lawyers."
Witness A. K continued his statement as follows:
"I called Yalım's lawyer, a person named B. D. The lawyer told me on the phone, 'You are underestimating these people too much, the first person those kids will hit as soon as they get out is you.'"
He said. The lawyer I was looking for, named Y. B. E., also told me in the same way that I was underestimating them too much, that these kids would also shoot me. After that, I did not contact them again. Murat Altınkaya told me what he knew about this matter. He personally told me that the instruction for I. E. K.'s beating was given by Özkan Yalım to M. Ö., that M. Ö. had this done by using the kids, that the video taken reached M. Ö. and from there to Yalım, and that M. Ö. informed him by saying, 'I have handled the job you gave.'.