Zeydan Karalar’s testimony revealed: All witnesses turned out to be employees of Aziz İhsan Aktaş!

The 56-page testimony file given by Adana Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Zeydan Karalar to the police has been accessed. According to the report by Dinçer Gökçe from Halktv, the only accusation directed at Karalar, whose 1-page defense was taken by the police, pertains to the period of the Seyhan Municipality, where he served as mayor between 2014 and 2019.

At the center of the investigation lies an allegation of bribery. However, a striking point is that all the witnesses upon whom the accusations are based are individuals working for companies owned by the detained businessman Aziz İhsan Aktaş.

WHO IS THE PERSON MAKING THE ACCUSATION?

The accusations against Karalar are based on the testimony given on June 16 by the detained suspect Baki Nugay. Nugay was among those previously arrested alongside Aziz İhsan Aktaş in an operation targeting the Beşiktaş Municipality. Nugay was the former owner of Barka Waste Management, known for its waste collection services. Additionally, he had served as a manager at the cleaning company of the Albayrak group, which was linked to the Yeni Şafak newspaper until 2010.

In his testimony, Nugay stated that they worked with the Seyhan Municipality and had to make regular payments to the municipality every month to receive their progress payments, claiming that this demand was conveyed to him personally by Karalar.

“WE WERE PAYING MONEY EVERY MONTH” ALLEGATION

Nugay alleged that they made regular payments to the municipality in line with Karalar’s request, and that they gave this money to Özcan Zenger from the Seyhan Municipality cleaning department. According to his claim, it was stated that if the payments were not made, the progress payments would be delayed.

Stating that the money was delivered through Tekin Sönmez during this process, Nugay claimed that the payments were made in cash at the municipal building at times, and at other times at the company headquarters in Koşuyolu, Istanbul.

COMMON POINT OF THE WITNESSES: AKTAŞ’S EMPLOYEES

Along with Baki Nugay’s testimony, Tekin Sönmez, who was heard as a witness on the same day, stated that he still works at Aktaş Informatics, owned by Aziz İhsan Aktaş. Sönmez said that he gave cash to Özcan Zenger under the direction of Baki Nugay, and that these transactions were repeated several times.

Another witness, Adnan Tan Dehlioğlu, stated that he also worked at a company called Bilginay, which belongs to Aktaş. Dehlioğlu said that money came into his account from the Barka Waste company, and that he withdrew this money and delivered it to Tekin Sönmez. However, he added that he did not know who this money reached.

According to the prosecutor’s file, a total of 4 million 550 thousand TL changed hands in 11 different transactions using this method.

“THEY WANTED TO MEET WITH ME”

Zeydan Karalar, in his testimony, categorically denied the accusations. He stated that he knew Baki Nugay because he performed the municipality’s cleaning work. He also emphasized that this company had performed the same work during the AKP period, which governed the municipality before him.

Stating that after he was elected mayor, an official whose name he could not recall told him that a contractor wanted to meet him, Karalar stated that this person was Baki Nugay and that they only met to be introduced.

“SUCH A MEETING NEVER HAPPENED”

Karalar continued his testimony as follows:

“Neither in this meeting nor afterwards did I ever have a conversation with this person or any other contractor regarding the provision of benefits in exchange for the payment of progress payments. My personality would not accept such a thing. I absolutely reject these allegations against me. This person is slandering me to escape the detention process.”