The 'Known Person' mentioned in the Bora Kaplan case almost made it into the identification report too!...

The most debated cases of this year were the murder of former Ülkü Ocakları President Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sinan Ateş, the operation against Bora Kaplan, who is alleged to be the leader of an organized crime syndicate, and the arrest of the police officers who conducted the Bora Kaplan investigation.

Interestingly, we have seen that these three cases have become politically intertwined. The Sinan Ateş murder case disturbed the MHP, while the Bora Kaplan case particularly unsettled former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu. The emerging picture was that the team brought into the Ankara Police Department by the new Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, was launching an operation against Süleyman Soylu and the police chiefs who served during his tenure, using Bora Kaplan as the vehicle.

As for the case of the police officers who conducted the Bora Kaplan operation; the allegations of this settling of scores within the police force were compounded by the statements of the secret witness codenamed "M7", Serdar Sertçelik, who fled abroad, claiming, "The police asked me to name certain AKP members." MHP Leader Devlet Bahçeli, who has always stood by Süleyman Soylu, not only described this development as a "conspiracy against the People's Alliance" but also made the comparison to the "December 17-25 police and judiciary-backed coup attempt."

Who knows; perhaps the December 17/25 clock that recently reappeared in Bahçeli's office was a nod to this case.

Ultimately, those police officers were not arrested for a "coup"; they were arrested due to the escape of secret witness and suspect Serdar Sertçelik, on charges of "misconduct in office, disclosure of confidential information related to duty, attempting to influence a witness, and shielding a criminal."

In the first hearing on July 18, although the 13th Criminal Court of First Instance judge stated, "Yes, the indictment is insufficient, but it has reached this point. We are striving to make a fair decision," a release order was issued for one of the 5 detained defendants.

The second hearing of the case will be held tomorrow.

WHATSAPP CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE PROSECUTOR

The issue we want to draw attention to in this case is that the prosecutor who conducted the Bora Kaplan investigation has never been brought to the agenda while the police officers are being blamed.

Yet, in this investigation, which was practically conducted via WhatsApp records, there are such interesting instructions and conversations in the correspondence between the prosecutor and the detained police officers!..

Let us state immediately; the digital devices seized from the police were examined by the Gendarmerie Criminal Laboratory. The report regarding this was delivered to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on June 3, that is, before the indictment was prepared on June 29, but for some reason, this report was never mentioned in the indictment.

What was in the report?

First, that "no crime or criminal element was found" on the digital devices;

Second, the assessment from the WhatsApp correspondence between the commissioners and the prosecutor that "if they have information, their superiors also committed criminal acts."

In a sense, it was implied that "the criminal elements are in these correspondences."

''THIS DOCTOR'S REPORT IS INSUFFICIENT''

Then let us look at these correspondences.

The most discussed event was the doctor's report obtained after Serdar Sertçelik was shot some time before he fled. In the indictment, the following accusation was directed at the police regarding this:

"When the second detention order was issued on November 24, 2023, suspect Serdar Sertçelik planned to go abroad to render the investigation and prosecution against him inconclusive, thinking he would be arrested; in this context, the suspects directed the relevant physician to state that Serdar Sertçelik could not be detained due to his injury, and by giving instructions for this direction, they obtained a doctor's report written by hand in the form of a marginal note and not in accordance with the procedure, and thanks to this report, the decision to detain Serdar Sertçelik could not be executed..."

The WhatsApp correspondence on November 24, 2023, between the commissioner following the case and the prosecutor is as follows:

Commissioner: Prosecutor, the doctor has added a note like this (It is assessed that the person stepping on his foot for 10 days could lead to permanent damage) under the initial admission report for Serdar Sertçelik for detention.

Prosecutor: Commissioner, the doctor needs to use a definitive sentence stating whether there is an obstacle to his detention or not, this is insufficient.

Commissioner: Understood, Prosecutor, I am telling the friends.

Prosecutor: Let the Doctor make an assessment according to his medical observation, Commissioner. Even if he cannot be detained, he will need to be made available on the day the individuals arrive. This is just a situation regarding detention.

It is after this instruction that the teams meet with the doctor again. The doctor adds to his previous note, "There is a medical obstacle to the person's detention." Following this, the Prosecutor gives the instruction for "the person's statement to be taken at his residence in the presence of a lawyer as a suspect, without being detained."

''LET'S NOT INVOLVE HIM AT ALL''

On September 26, 2023, the following correspondence takes place regarding one of the suspects in the Bora Kaplan case:

Prosecutor: I understood Altan Tozar, a director had also called and said he would not give a statement, so his statement was not going to be taken. Settling for his old statement...

Commissioner: Prosecutor, our director gave you information about Altan Tozar, we caught this person but there has been no development beneficial to the file, and our friends handed him over to the enforcement office because he was wanted. Should we write a Prosecutor's interview note regarding this, stating that he was handed over to the enforcement bureau without taking the person's statement?

Prosecutor: Commissioner, let's not involve him at all if you wish, because if he is called to this court during the trial phase and asked why he didn't give a statement, he might say I was going to be in favor of the suspect, they didn't take it, etc. You can hand him over directly, his previous statement will be enough for us. Lawyers might use the fact that the statement was not taken officially. You hand him over directly to enforcement. His previous statement was against Bora Kaplan, so that will be used.

Commissioner: Understood, Prosecutor.

TAKING THE SECRET WITNESS'S STATEMENT AT THE POLICE STATION

Another of the most debated issues in the Bora Kaplan case investigation was the allegation that the statement of Serdar Sertçelik, who was decided to be a secret witness, was taken at the Police Station instead of the Prosecutor's Office. However, the police denied this allegation. Now let us look at the correspondence regarding this.

Commissioner: Prosecutor, what method will we follow regarding taking this person's statement as a secret witness? What should we do?

Prosecutor: Good morning, Commissioner, has Serdar Sertçelik's statement finished? If the friends send me a PDF before coming to me, we can also prepare. The secret witness prosecutor called, said the person will write a petition, there will be a photocopy of the ID, front and back. I will tell Hüseyin to give you the secret witness clerk's phone number, we will act according to what is needed. It has a lot of procedure.

Commissioner: Okay, Prosecutor. We will prepare the documents and bring them at 2.

Another correspondence dated November 21, 2023, regarding Serdar Sertçelik:

Prosecutor: Good evening, Commissioner, the Chief Prosecutor wanted to see the messaging images you mentioned today regarding Serdar Sertçelik. If you have them, can you send them to me, I will forward them to him, Ahmet Akça requested them.

Commissioner: Of course, Prosecutor, I am sending them again.

INFLUENCING THE EXPERT WITNESS?

One of the accusations in the Bora Kaplan case is the suicide or murder of Semih Arslan, who was previously seen and convicted. While detentions regarding this were ongoing, the correspondence on November 20 and 23 is as follows:

Prosecutor: Commissioner, has the HTS study regarding the Semih Arslan incident finished? Even if it hasn't, there will be an operation regarding that incident because Mahmut Gökhan Çanga's fingerprints were found at the scene and it is confirmed by statements. The assigned friends can come at 15:00 to discuss this issue. Detention warrants, etc., will be delivered.

Commissioner: Understood, Prosecutor, I told Commissioner Gökhan, he will come to you.

Prosecutor: Commissioner, this academic's report work turned out very well. If it enters the file before the day the suspects are brought with their presence, very comfortable arrests will come out. We said meet with Commissioner Gökhan next week, but it would be better if he meets by phone first and returns to us. If he gives a report that the possibility of suicide is low, it will be grounds for arrest. If possible, let him meet on the phone today, we will deliver the file copy, he will also examine the scene and deliver the report quickly before the detention ends.

Commissioner: Okay, Prosecutor, we will meet and inform you.

''THE JUDGE SEEMS A BIT DIFFICULT''

Let us move on to the correspondence dated November 27 regarding the interrogations at the Criminal Judgeship of Peace, where some suspects were referred with a request for arrest:

Commissioner: Prosecutor, the interrogation has started.

Prosecutor: Thank you, Commissioner... When the decision is announced, if you write to me, the Chief Prosecutor is waiting for news from me immediately.

Commissioner: Okay, Prosecutor.

Prosecutor: They are tiring us and you for nothing, Commissioner. What will change if Bora Kaplan and other managers deny it in their statements, their statements have already been taken many times. The judge seems a bit difficult, let's hope for the best... Commissioner, I can sleep, if you share the interrogation result in the group, the Chief Prosecutor asks every other minute, he can learn from there.

''WE ARE ALREADY USED TO LIFTING NON-PROSECUTION DECISIONS''

Another allegation brought up in the Bora Kaplan investigation was the reopening of files for which a decision of non-prosecution (KYOK) had been given in past years, even though there was no new evidence.

There is an interesting nod to this in the WhatsApp correspondence as well. The conversation on January 5 regarding the suspects for whom a wiretapping decision was taken and some people the prosecutor forgot to wiretap is as follows:

Prosecutor: I forgot to wiretap, otherwise I would have separated these people too. I hope they are not important people.

Commissioner: Whether it will change the indictment is at your discretion, but it doesn't look like it, Prosecutor.

Prosecutor: We are already used to lifting non-prosecution decisions, Commissioner, it doesn't matter if it's the opposite.

ASYLUM COMPARISON

These are the emoji-filled correspondences on January 22 and 26 after the indictment prepared by the Prosecutor against the Ayhan Bora Kaplan organization was accepted by the Ankara 32nd High Criminal Court.

Commissioner: How are you, Prosecutor, the intensity is over, I hope you are relieved.

Prosecutor: I requested to move to the hearing, I hope I can move.

Commissioner: May God help you, Prosecutor, it's difficult wherever you go.

Prosecutor: Thank you, Commissioner, it is enough if I get out of this asylum. Just pray, it will be clear tomorrow.

Commissioner: May God give you what your heart desires, Prosecutor.

Prosecutor: Commissioner, I finally escaped, I was assigned to enforcement. But I am being sent with Bora Kaplan's separated file.

Commissioner: Prosecutor, you will not be able to escape from Bora. Wherever you go, you take it with you.

Prosecutor: I guess they thought of enforcement to give the enforcement file if he gets a sentence, Commissioner.

Commissioner: By God, you are right, Prosecutor. Good luck with your new place.

AND YÜKSEL KOCAMAN CORRESPONDENCES

We left the most striking of the WhatsApp correspondences between the prosecutor and the commissioner for last.

As is known; one of the most talked-about names in the Bora Kaplan investigation was the former Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor, now a member of the Court of Cassation, Yüksel Kocaman.

It was alleged that Kocaman closed the investigations into Bora Kaplan in the past, and furthermore, that Kaplan bought a villa and a car for Kocaman. When these allegations came to the agenda, the first person to say that an operation was being conducted against Süleyman Soylu was Kocaman.

Later, it turned out that the allegations regarding Kocaman did not remain as rumors, that the prosecutor conducting the Bora Kaplan investigation sent a letter to the KOM (Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Department) on November 8, 2023, instructing them to investigate those allegations, and that KOM prepared an investigation report and sent it to the court.

Now let us look at the correspondence dated October 9, 2023, regarding both the police chiefs in the team of Servet Yılmaz, the Ankara Police Chief of the Süleyman Soylu era, who were suspended on allegations that they demanded bribes from Bora Kaplan himself, and Yüksel Kocaman.

Prosecutor: Commissioner, the Chief Prosecutor said not to add the police officers to the identification report. They are already known persons by name. Since the officer is conducting them, the officer's bureau can request it if necessary according to the collected evidence. At this stage, Yüksel Kocaman and the police officers will not be in the identification report. There is no doubt about their identities anyway.

Commissioner: Okay, Prosecutor.

Look at that; Court of Cassation Member Yüksel Kocaman was almost going to be included in the identification report too, but the Chief Prosecutor of the period, Ahmet Akça, prevented it!..

In short; according to these correspondences, leaving aside the questions of why these cases became inextricable and who the real person/persons responsible for them are, have you ever seen an investigation conducted via WhatsApp like this?