29.06.2026 16:20
In the corruption investigation launched against the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, President Muhittin Böcek's private secretary Yasin Yellice made striking allegations while giving testimony. Yellice claimed that during a visit to Manisa before the local elections, he saw Böcek's backpack filled with euros, and asserted that after meetings in Istanbul with Ekrem İmamoğlu during the candidacy process, Böcek told him, 'There is no longer a problem with my candidacy,' thereby securing his nomination.
Yasin Yellice, the arrested private secretary who was present during both meetings between former Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek from CHP and Ekrem İmamoğlu regarding the alleged 5 million euro payment via the "havala" method for candidacy, has given a statement following Böcek's testimony. Yellice made striking remarks about the visits to Manisa and Istanbul before the 2024 local elections.
Yellice stated that on January 15, 2024, they went to Manisa, and he saw that the navy blue medium-sized backpack Böcek used during travels was full of foreign currency in euros. Yellice also noted that before Böcek's candidacy was announced, he had two private meetings with Ekrem İmamoğlu in Istanbul on November 30, 2023, and December 17, 2023, one lasting about 45 minutes and the other about 1 hour. After the first meeting, Böcek told him, "There will be no problem with my candidacy," and after the second meeting, he said, "Son, there is no issue left."
I SAW THAT BAG WAS FULL OF EUROS
In the investigation conducted by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the statement given by Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Muhittin Böcek's mobile private secretary, Yasin Yellice, as a person with knowledge has been added to the file. Yellice recounted striking details about the Manisa visit made before Böcek's candidacy for the 2024 local elections was announced.
According to Yellice's statement, on January 15, 2024, they set off for Manisa in Muhittin Böcek's official vehicle. The vehicle contained Muhittin Böcek, Yasin Yellice, and the official driver Aydın Günaydın. The escort vehicle included security driver Özer Uygun, police guard Duran Kucuzu, chief advisor Cem Oğuz, and photographer Serdar Yavuz.
Yellice stated that he had been monitoring Böcek's medications since his illness and that morning, to give him medicine, he opened Böcek's navy blue medium-sized backpack used during travels. Yellice said he saw foreign currency in euros inside the bag, not knowing the exact amount, but the bag was full.
THE 950 THOUSAND EURO DETAIL
Yasin Yellice stated in his testimony that he only saw the money in the bag due to medication monitoring. Yellice noted that the money was inside the bag, so it was impossible for anyone else to see it, including Cem Oğuz who was present at the meeting. This statement became one of the most striking points of the file, along with the claim of 950 thousand euros that Muhittin Böcek mentioned in his previous statement about taking to Manisa.
CRITICAL VISIT TO FERDİ ZEYREK'S OFFICE
According to Yellice's account, during the journey to Manisa, the late Ferdi Zeyrek sent the location of the office where Muhittin Böcek would be. Böcek forwarded this location to Yellice's phone. The team went to Ferdi Zeyrek's architecture office according to the received location. Yellice said that when they arrived at the office, Ferdi Zeyrek welcomed them, and then Ferdi Zeyrek and Muhittin Böcek went together to the meeting room.
Yellice stated that the chief advisor later joined the meeting, and after the meeting, they had dinner as a group, returning to Antalya in the evening of the same day.
FIRST MEETING WITH İMAMOĞLU IN ISTANBUL: RÖNESANS POLAT HOTEL
Yasin Yellice also provided detailed information about Muhittin Böcek's visits to Istanbul in his statement. Yellice recounted that before Böcek's candidacy for the 2024 local elections was announced, it was heard that Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal had gone to meet with Ekrem İmamoğlu regarding his candidacy for Antalya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor.
Following that, Yellice said they went to Istanbul by plane with Muhittin Böcek, as far as he remembers on November 30, 2023. He stated that at the Rönesans Polat Hotel in Istanbul, Muhittin Böcek and Ekrem İmamoğlu had a private meeting lasting about 45 minutes, and he knew the meeting was about the mayoral candidacy because Böcek shared this with him.
MUHİTTİN BÖCEK: "THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEM WITH MY CANDIDACY"
Yellice recounted another striking detail after the first Istanbul meeting. He said that after the meeting, he took photos of Muhittin Böcek and Ekrem İmamoğlu on the hotel terrace, and after leaving the hotel, Böcek told him there would be no problem with his candidacy and he would handle the matter. This statement reinforced assessments that the meeting was a critical contact regarding the candidacy process.
NO ISSUE REMAINED WITH HIS CANDIDACY!
According to Yellice's testimony, about 2 weeks after the first meeting, they went to Istanbul again on December 17, 2023. Yellice said that this time they went to a building he remembered as Ekrem İmamoğlu's election office. He stated that here, Muhittin Böcek and Ekrem İmamoğlu had another private meeting lasting about 1 hour, and although he did not know the exact content, since they went for a candidacy meeting, he understood the topic was candidacy. One of the most striking sentences in Yasin Yellice's testimony occurred after the second Istanbul meeting. Yellice stated that Muhittin Böcek, coming out of the meeting, told him, "Son, there is no issue left."
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES MULTI-FACETEDLY
Yasin Yellice's statement as a person with knowledge became one of the key witness accounts in the file regarding the Manisa visit, the money alleged to be carried in the bag, and the meetings with Ekrem İmamoğlu in Istanbul, which were also mentioned in Muhittin Böcek's previous statements. Yellice stated that during the Manisa visit, he saw foreign currency in euros in the bag, and in Istanbul, Böcek had two separate private meetings with Ekrem İmamoğlu, which were related to the candidacy process. It was learned that the investigation is being conducted multi-directionally by the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.