18.08.2026 15:40
Muhittin Böcek, who is under arrest as part of the corruption investigation into the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, made striking claims in his additional statement to the prosecutor's office. Böcek alleged that prior to the 2024 local elections, Ekrem İmamoğlu requested 15 million euros in financial support from him during the candidacy process, and that he sent 5 million euros of this via the "havala" method.
Former Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek, who is detained as part of a corruption investigation, made noteworthy claims regarding the candidacy process before the 2024 local elections in his additional statement to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Böcek alleged that Ekrem İmamoğlu requested €15 million in "financial support" from him and that he sent €5 million of this amount through an unrecorded money transfer method he called "havala." Böcek also claimed that during the candidacy process, he took €950,000 to Manisa and sent €1 million to Veli Ağbaba through his son.
GAVE ADDITIONAL STATEMENT FOR "NEW MATTERS HE REMEMBERED"
Muhittin Böcek, the former Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor detained in the corruption investigation, gave another statement after his initial statement dated June 27, 2026. Böcek, who submitted a petition to the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office stating that he wanted to explain "new matters he remembered," made new claims regarding the candidacy process before the 2024 local elections and the money transfers he allegedly carried out. Böcek claimed that he took €950,000 to Manisa on the instruction of Özgür Özel for his candidacy and sent €1 million to Veli Ağbaba through his son.
"HE REQUESTED €15 MILLION IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT"
In his statement, Böcek claimed that he learned the Muratpaşa Mayor had met with Ekrem İmamoğlu and received certain assurances regarding the determination of mayoral candidacies. Böcek stated that upon this, he went to Istanbul on November 30, 2023, with his private secretary Yasin Yellice, and met with Ekrem İmamoğlu at the Renaissance İstanbul Polat Bosphorus Hotel. Böcek made the following claim about the meeting: "Ekrem İmamoğlu said he had not promised candidacy to anyone else and would favor me, but requested approximately €15 million in financial support for this. I stated that I would cover this over time as much as I could."
ALLEGATION OF €5 MILLION "HAVALA"
According to the news by Halit Turan from Sabah; Muhittin Böcek also described in his statement how he sent the €5 million portion of the €15 million he claimed İmamoğlu requested. Böcek stated that after returning from Istanbul, he applied to a friend whose name he did not disclose to complete the money he had allocated for the election budget, and said that this person told him about an unrecorded money transfer method called "havala." Böcek stated that his friend said he could deliver the money more safely and quickly using this method instead of carrying it by hand.
CLAIMED A 100 TL BANKNOTE WAS USED AS A CODE
According to Böcek's claim, his friend took a photo of a 100 TL banknote he had and sent it to the person who would make the payment. Böcek recounted that his friend put the same 100 TL banknote in an envelope with a note paper containing a name and phone number, and gave it to him, claiming his friend said, "Give the envelope to the person you want to make the payment to. They can receive the money by giving the envelope in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar." Böcek claimed that he later delivered this envelope to Ekrem İmamoğlu.
"THE NOTE PAPER SAID TAÇ DÖVİZ"
Böcek also answered the prosecutor's office's questions about the identity of the person who received the money and the details of the note inside the envelope, but did not want to disclose the identity of the person he said helped him. Böcek stated that he remembered the note paper contained the name "Taç Döviz" in Istanbul's Grand Bazaar.
"I DELIVERED THE ENVELOPE TO İMAMOĞLU"
Böcek said that on December 16, 2023, he called Ekrem İmamoğlu and made an appointment, and on December 17, he met with İmamoğlu face to face in his election office on the ground floor of a high-rise building in Istanbul. Böcek described the process he claimed took place in this meeting as follows: "Here, I delivered to him the envelope given by my friend, containing the 100 TL banknote and the note paper. I said I would handle the remaining part of the requested money later if there was a presidential candidacy process. I could not make the remaining payment because he was arrested."
THE TRACE OF THE €5 MILLION IS UNDER INVESTIGATION
It was claimed that investigation units are looking into the source and movements of the €5 million allegedly directed to the Grand Bazaar using the coded banknote method according to Böcek's claim. Within the scope of the investigation, whether the money in question has a connection to the 5 billion lira money pool, which was reportedly seized at Taç Döviz and allegedly managed by "IMM couriers," also became a subject of examination. The similarity between witness statements that money was transported from exchange offices with four VIP vehicles and the money delivery method described in Böcek's statement is also being evaluated within the scope of the investigation.