8 million dollar fraud in IMM investigation

Sarp Yalçınkaya, the owner of TECO Petrolleri who was arrested in the IMM investigation, is drawing attention with allegations that he paid 8 million dollars for his release. Yalçınkaya, who was arrested on May 26, 2025, filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office, stating that he paid a large sum to a lawyer to secure his release during this process but received no results. In his complaint, Yalçınkaya stated that he had been defrauded.

IMM INVESTIGATION AND THE SEIZURE OF TECO PETROLLERİ

According to the report by Can Bursalı, Yalçınkaya's name had come to the fore in 2025 within the scope of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) investigation. The TECO Petrolleri company, which owns 369 gas stations, had begun to be managed by the SDIF (TMSF) of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. Following the seizure of Yalçınkaya's company, he himself was also arrested.

8 MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT WITH PROMISE OF RELEASE

While giving a statement in the IMM investigation, Yalçınkaya gave a total of 6 statements in order to benefit from the "effective remorse" provisions. However, these statements were not "deemed valuable" and Yalçınkaya was not released. Upon this, it was alleged that individuals named Ç.S. and K.S. reached out to Yalçınkaya on May 28-29 and promised him release. The two individuals demanded 10 million dollars from Yalçınkaya for his release, but after negotiations, this amount was reduced to 8 million dollars. Yalçınkaya described the money transfer process as follows:

"I instructed my company lawyers to have this amount sent from the CSY Global A.Ş. company to my personal account, and then to the account of E. Kuyumculuk A.Ş. It was promised that I would be called to give a statement and released within a few days after these transactions were completed. However, there has been no development to date, and I requested that the money I paid be returned, but no refund was made."

Stating that he sent the money he paid to K.S., the brother of Ç.S., Yalçınkaya alleged that these individuals had defrauded other people with similar promises as well. Yalçınkaya filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office regarding the fraud incident he experienced in prison.

CRIMINAL RECORD OF YALÇINKAYA, WHO BECAME A CONFESSOR

Sarp Yalçınkaya is a figure who has given 6 statements as a confessor in the IMM investigation. However, Yalçınkaya's past is full of crimes. Yalçınkaya, who has been processed for 11 separate crimes including usury, intentional injury, threats, attempted suicide, and property damage, had previously been involved in judicial processes.

'IMM EXCHANGE' ALLEGATIONS HAD COME TO THE FORE

In the IMM investigation, it was claimed that lawyers demanded high sums from suspects and took this money with the promise of release. Following the statements of Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairman Özgür Özel, among the lawyers in the IMM investigation, lawyer Mehmet Yıldırım was caught while fleeing abroad and was placed under house arrest. Former AK Party Central Decision and Executive Board member lawyer Mücahit Birinci had also resigned from his party. These developments came to the fore under the name "IMM Exchange," and the allegations that lawyers demanded millions of dollars from suspects were confirmed.