15.01.2026 17:44
As part of the investigation into the corruption allegations against the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, a judicial control measure was imposed on volleyball player Derya Çayırgan by the duty magistrate, which includes 'not leaving her residence' and a 'ban on leaving the country'.
The volleyball player Derya Çayırgan, who was detained in the İBB investigation, was released under judicial control.
DERYA ÇAYIRGAN RELEASED UNDER JUDICIAL CONTROL
Volleyball player Derya Çayırgan, who was detained as part of the İBB investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, was brought to the Istanbul Courthouse. After giving her statement at the prosecutor's office, Çayırgan was referred to the duty magistrate court with a request for judicial control in the form of not leaving her residence and not being able to travel abroad. Çayırgan was released under judicial control conditions by the court she was brought before.
"I VISITED HER AT THE İPA FACILITY IN FLORYA"
Derya Çayırgan's statement to the prosecutor's office has emerged. In her statement, Çayırgan said: "I met Ekrem İmamoğlu while walking in Taksim in 2020 or 2021 (during the pandemic). I asked him, 'Hello Mr. President, how are you?' I told him that I was a national volleyball player and that I played for Galatasaray. We chatted in the crowd, and I said I wanted to visit him in his office. One of the people next to him gave me a phone number. He said, 'Call from here when you want to come.' I called to visit in the years 2022-2023.
On the date of the appointment I was given, I visited her at the İPA facility in Florya. In 2023, my house in Bahçelievler was demolished. We asked for help from Özgür Çelik, who was the district president of Bahçelievler at that time and also my friend, due to our victimization. He sent my family and the neighbors living in the building to a hotel. After a while, they placed my family in İBB facilities.
Since I was playing at PTT in Ankara, I returned to Istanbul after a while. I stayed here with my family for 3.5 months. During my stay here, I constantly searched for a house. During this time, I found Ekrem İmamoğlu's personal phone number and called him. He initially did not answer the phone, but later got back to me. I thanked him."
"MR. EKREM TOLD ME I COULD CALL HIM WHEN I NEEDED SOMETHING"
Çayırgan continued her statement with the following words: "During this time, I visited him, and we talked about sports. He asked me, 'Would you like to play for İBB?' I told him that I couldn't play because they were in a lower league, but I could play if they moved up to a higher league. He asked me what I would do after my career ended, and I said I had no plans. He asked if I would like to work in İBB's sports management after I retired from volleyball, and I said, 'Why not after I retire from volleyball?' When I was leaving, they introduced me to Mustafa Akın as his right-hand man.
I said I was pleased to meet him. Mr. Ekrem told me I could call him when I needed something. Towards the end of 2023, I transferred to Antalya. During my time playing in Antalya, I never met Ekrem İmamoğlu face to face. I made phone calls, but he did not answer. After transferring to PTT in 2023, I visited him 3 or 4 times when he came to Ankara because he stayed at the Mariot Hotel.
I do not know the individuals named Fatih Keleş, Tuncay Yılmaz, and Murat Gülibrahimoğlu that you asked me about. As I mentioned at the beginning of my statement, I got to know Mustafa Akın because I was told to contact him when I could not reach Ekrem İmamoğlu during my visit. I stated in my testimony that when I could not reach Ekrem İmamoğlu, I called Mustafa Akın. I have had no other contact with Mustafa Akın. I called him when I could not reach Ekrem İmamoğlu."
"THE MONEY IN QUESTION IS MY OWN MONEY AS I MENTIONED"
Regarding the MASAK report, Çayırgan said: "The findings from the MASAK investigations you asked me about are due to my converting my savings into foreign currency and depositing them in the bank. Before 2021, I did not deposit the money I earned in the bank, but after 2021, I deposited some of the money I saved by converting it into foreign currency into my bank account. I evaluated this money in different ways at the bank. This will be visible in the MASAK reports. The 50,000 euros I deposited in cash into my account on June 16, 2023, is also from these savings.
On June 15, 2023, I sent 20,000 lira to Kameroğlu İnşaat, and on June 16, 2023, I sent 32,000 dollars and 62,570 lira to buy a house. The explanation for the 62,570 lira was 'we are winning,' which was completely related to the national volleyball team process; it was a statement of joy. I had no other purpose. I met with Adem Kameroğlu three times to negotiate a discount for buying the house. I bought this house for a total of 4 million 100 thousand lira at the price we agreed upon, based on the currency of that time. I took over the title deed on June 19, 2023. I deposited the 50,000 euros I had in my account to buy this house.
The money in question is my own money, as I mentioned. It is not money given to me by others. As I stated, this 50,000 euros is my savings. As I said, I do not remember the details of the transaction I made because time has passed. I have no explanation for why I did not send euros and sent other currencies in dollars and lira instead. I answered the questions you asked me clearly. Although I do not remember exactly where I got the 50,000 euros, it could be money I received in cash from the club I was playing for at that time from our family savings. I do not accept the accusations against me," she said.