Ankara Police Chief Engin Dinç's first published testimony: 'When I listened to the audio recordings…'

The testimony of Ankara Police Chief Engin Dinç, who has come to the fore with the Ayhan Bora Kaplan case, has emerged.

According to the report by Alican Uludağ from DW Türkçe; in his testimony dated May 15, 2024, Engin Dinç stated that he had no knowledge that the testimony of Serdar Sertçelik, a secret witness in the Ayhan Bora Kaplan case, was taken under duress, saying, "I think this is a slander. I believe he made such a slander in the face of the blackmail and threats of the organized crime group." 

'I KNOW IT WAS DONE BY ŞEVKET DEMİRCAN'

Regarding the audio recording of Serdar Sertçelik with the then Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Bureau, Şevket Demircan, which was published on the internet, Dinç claimed that he only became aware of it on the day it was published online, stating that officers informed him about such a matter and played the recording for him from social media. According to the records, Dinç spoke as follows in his testimony: 

"When I asked the relevant friend, Şevket Demircan, about this, he told me, 'Chief, the presiding judge told me this witness is important for us, and I made a few phone calls to ensure this witness testifies in court. Serdar Sertçelik likely recorded the phone call.' I know that this matter was carried out by Şevket Demircan in line with the request of the presiding judge. I did not give any instructions to meet. I was not given any information regarding the timing and content of the meetings. I was only told that persuasion efforts to bring him back to Turkey were ongoing. They made efforts to bring Serdar Sertçelik to the hearing. I think the true purpose of these meetings will only be understood when the content of all phone calls is listened to."

'I SAW THAT THE PERSONNEL ENTERED INTO UNNECESSARY DIALOGUES'

Recalling that he also listened to these conversations that Şevket Demircan had recorded, Engin Dinç stated, "When I listened to the recordings later, I saw that our personnel who conducted the meeting entered into some unnecessary dialogues. I realized that they did not show the necessary attention and care." However, Dinç added to his testimony that he did not think the personnel of the Organized Crime Bureau had any malicious intent in this or that they could have obtained any benefit in return for this work. 

TESTIMONY OF THE WITNESS PROTECTION CHIEF

Engin Aydın, Acting Chief of the Witness Protection Branch, explained the process regarding Serdar Sertçelik in his testimony.

Accusing the personnel of the Organized Crime Bureau, Aydın stated, "If the line managers and officers of the Organized Crime Bureau, who carried out the work and procedures within the scope of the Ayhan Bora Kaplan criminal organization file, both judicially and administratively, had analyzed all the role models that could exert influence with this sensitivity and done what was necessary regarding the measures I had taken and explained to you within the scope of witness protection, we would not have reached this stage."    

THE TRIAL BEGINS TOMORROW

The first hearing of the case opened regarding the smuggling abroad of Serdar Sertçelik, a defendant and secret witness in the case concerning Ayhan Bora Kaplan, who is accused of being the leader of a criminal organization, will begin on Thursday, July 18, at the Ankara 13th Criminal Court of First Instance. 

In the indictment, the then Ankara Deputy Police Chief Murat Çelik, former Organized Crime Bureau Chief Kerem Gökay Öner, former Deputy Bureau Chief Şevket Demircan, former Bureau Commissioners Ufuk Gültekin, Gökhan Karaca, and Metehan İlkyaz, as well as civilian defendants Nurullah Özgür Kopuk, Ramazan Kubat, Adem Kaçan, Mustafa Çotuk, and Erdoğan Sertçelik will be tried.

For the detained defendants of the case, Murat Çelik, Şevket Demircan, Ufuk Gültekin, Metehan İlkyaz, and Gökhan Karaca, prison sentences ranging from 4 to 15 years are requested for the crimes of misconduct in office, disclosure of confidential information related to duty, protecting a criminal, and attempting to influence a witness. Similar charges are directed at Kerem Gökay Öner, excluding the crimes of “attempting to influence a witness.”

WHO IS ACCUSED OF WHAT?

In the indictment prepared against 11 suspects, including police officers, it is argued that the suspects who are police officers adopted a protective attitude toward Serdar Sertçelik even before a secret witness decision was taken about him and throughout the entire investigation process, despite having no duty or authority to do so. Reminding that a second detention warrant was issued for Sertçelik on November 24 after he violated his house arrest decision, the indictment notes that 6 police officers, including Murat Çelik, directed the doctor to obtain an irregular report stating that Sertçelik could not be detained due to the injury he sustained when he was shot in the leg at that time, in order to prevent the execution of the detention warrant.

The indictment states that thanks to this report, the decision to detain Serdar Sertçelik was not fulfilled, and in the subsequent process, Sertçelik left his residence and fled. However, it is pointed out that in a phone call Sertçelik made on November 26, he declared to Ufuk Gültekin and Gökhan Karaca that he would go abroad. The indictment argues that although the police knew that Sertçelik had gone to Istanbul, they misled the judicial authorities by keeping a record stating that the suspect could not be found, and that they acted with the intention of protecting and shielding Sertçelik.

The indictment alleges that after Sertçelik went abroad illegally on December 4, 2023, these defendant police officers continued to maintain contact with Sertçelik, and in the phone calls they made, they gave directions to Sertçelik on how they should testify in the case, what changes he should make in his testimony, and whom he should add to his testimony.

WHAT HAD HAPPENED?

Serdar Sertçelik was among the 61 defendants in the Ayhan Bora Kaplan criminal organization case opened by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Sertçelik was also the secret witness of the case with the code name M7. Sertçelik, who was placed under house arrest within the scope of the case, violated his house arrest and was shot in the leg at a soup restaurant he went to in Ankara on November 21, 2023. However, Sertçelik was taken back to his home based on a report obtained from a doctor stating that he "cannot be detained." Sertçelik left his home on November 27, 2023, and went abroad. After the trial began, Sertçelik started to publish some of his phone conversations with Şevket Demircan on May 13, 2024. In these conversations, Sertçelik spoke about how he could testify against Erdoğan's advisors, specifically Mücahit Aslan, and former Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ.

While Sertçelik said to Demircan, "There is Mücahit Aslan on the other side. There is Bekir Bozdağ on this side. Now, if I say this, I shouldn't get into even more trouble, Chief," the police chief stated, "I am speaking regarding these two topics, I will discuss these two topics. There is no need, I can tell you if you want. I will tell you what not to say. Let me be clear and plain. I am not saying anything about Bekir Bozdağ. They will probably tell you to say it. That is a separate issue. But regarding this other topic, of course, we need to look into it." Demircan, who was trying to persuade the secret witness to return to Turkey, specifically asked if there was any information about the former Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Yüksel Kocaman and Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ahmet Yıkılmaz. In the recorded conversation, Demircan said, "They gave us the news that we started the clean hands operation with your hands." 

Later, Serdar Sertçelik, who broadcasts via a YouTube account, claimed that the "Ankara Police Department attempted a coup against the AK Party" and that the police directed his testimony. MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli made a statement claiming that a plot was set up against the People's Alliance following the audio recording. Upon this, the prosecutor's office launched an investigation against the police officers on the allegation of conspiracy to commit the crime of attempting a coup against the government. However, this charge against the defendants was not included in the indictment prepared as a result of the investigation. These police officers were also suspended by the Ministry of Interior.