21.05.2026 01:01
In a case where 286 defendants are being tried over allegations that electronic signatures of public institution managers in Ankara were copied to issue fake diplomas and driver's licenses, Mıhyeddin Yakışır's words left a mark on the court. Yakışır said, 'I got the e-signature as easily as handing over my ID like buying chocolate from any market. I don't know what an e-signature is or what it's used for. I'm a primary school graduate.'
Within the scope of the e-signature investigation conducted by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, three separate indictments were prepared. In the indictments, a total of 286 people were charged with 'Forgery of official documents', 'Illegal access to information systems', and 'Establishing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes'. The hearing for the three cases, consolidated at the Ankara 23rd Criminal Court of First Instance, was held at the Sincan Penal Execution Institutions Campus. The hearing was attended by 29 arrested defendants, including Ziya Kadiroğlu, who is alleged to be the organization's leader, some non-custodial defendants, and the lawyers of the parties.
In his defense, arrested defendant Ali Çiçekli stated that he has been in prison for about 20 months, saying, "I do not know any of the organization members. I was in prison when the incidents occurred. There is no suspicion of flight. I have no connection with anyone either. I request my acquittal and release. I have not committed any crime."
"IF I COULD MAKE A DIPLOMA, I WOULD HAVE MADE ONE FOR MY DAUGHTER"
Arrested defendant Ayhan Ateş, claiming to be a victim, said, "A diploma was made in my name, but there is no evidence that I did it. If I had the means to make a diploma, I would have made one for my own daughter. My son failed the driver's license exam; if I were involved in such a crime, I would have helped my son too."
Arrested defendant Gökay Celal Gülen also argued that he had no connection with the e-signatures, stating, "I am not even in the same city as the signatures that were issued. It is clear that I did not obtain any benefit from the incident. I am not a criminal involved in this matter."
"I DO NOT KNOW WHAT AN E-SIGNATURE IS"
Arrested defendant Mıhyeddin Yakışır stated that he had previously admitted to obtaining a few e-signatures, saying, "I met Ziya Kadiroğlu by chance and obtained an e-signature at his request. When I got the e-signature, I simply handed over my ID like buying a chocolate from any market and got it easily. I do not know what an e-signature is or what it is used for. I am a primary school graduate."
"THEY DISTRIBUTED E-SIGNATURES TO ANYONE"
Arrested defendant Ziya Kadiroğlu, considered the founder and leader of the criminal organization, stated in his defense that he encountered his childhood friend Ali Çiçekli at a funeral, saying, "He said he graduated people who could not graduate from Atatürk University. I gave names on a trial basis. I said that the transactions I did were done with a username and password, not an e-signature. I did not use an e-signature in these transactions. I think Turkish trust had a huge negligence in this case; they distributed e-signatures to anyone."