Strange questions for the Chief of Staff in the IMM investigation!

In the investigations being conducted into Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), a detention order was issued for the second time against İBB Private Secretary Kadriye Kasapoğlu. The phone calls Kasapoğlu made with many people as part of her duties were made the subject of the investigation.

During questioning, Kasapoğlu was asked about 3,622 phone calls she had made since 2019 with Mustafa Akın, the Protection Director of İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu; 1,003 calls with İBB Secretary-General Gürkan Alpay; 830 with KİPTAŞ General Manager Ali Kurt; 77 with İbrahim Bülbüllü; and 45 with Seza Büyükçulha. Kasapoğlu repeated the statement she had previously given on these matters.

QUESTION ABOUT A SHARED DEVICE

Kasapoğlu was also asked questions about a mobile phone seized by the police on March 23 and alleged to belong to İBB Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. Kasapoğlu gave the following statement:

“I remember that the phone in question was used by many employees and that it had no password, so I have no information about its password. I think the person listed as ‘Ms. Burcu’ is Burcu Ciner Şimşek, who is in charge of the secretariat. At İBB, there is generally a standard practice of handing over devices whose period of use has expired to the Information Technology Department. I think this phone may also have been handed over there. However, on March 19, I did not give any instruction regarding this phone. I do not know whether the device is an İBB fixed asset.”

THE QUESTION: ‘WHY WAS THE DRIVER WITH HIM?’

Kamuran Ataç, the official driver of İBB employee Yakup Öner, who was arrested as part of the investigation, was also confronted with notable questions. After Ataç’s base station records matched those of Öner, he was asked, “How do you explain this situation?”

Ataç, explaining his job description, said the following:

“I am Yakup Öner’s driver. I pick him up, take him where he needs to go and wait at the door. When he leaves, I drop him off wherever he wants.”

STATEMENTS BY A COOPERATING WITNESS WERE ASKED ABOUT

Kamuran Ataç was also asked about statements by Emrullah Turanlı, who is known for the project publicly referred to as “Şişli’s Kanal Istanbul” and is included in the investigation file as a cooperating witness. Ataç gave a similar answer on this subject as well:

“I only work as an official driver. I did not see any unusual enrichment. As far as I know, Yakup Öner has already been a wealthy person for a long time.”