Aziz İhsan Aktaş's brother: We are a family business, not a criminal organization

The trial of 200 defendants began on Tuesday, January 27, under an indictment prepared regarding allegations that tender processes were organized by bribing mayors—including Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat, Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara, Seyhan Mayor Oya Tekin, Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar, Adana Metropolitan Mayor Zeydan Karalar (who was released), and Adıyaman Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere (who was released and reinstated), all of whom were suspended from their duties following their arrests—by a criminal organization allegedly led by Aziz İhsan Aktaş. The defense statements of the non-custodial defendants began in yesterday's hearing. The hearing, held at the Marmara Penal Execution Institutions Silivri campus, was attended by the detained and non-custodial defendants as well as the lawyers of the parties.

"I have no assets registered in my name"

Following a one-hour break in the hearing, the defense of non-custodial defendant Doğan Aktaş, the brother of Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is being tried as the alleged leader of the organization, continued. The indictment stated that Aktaş's method of acquiring shares was found to be suspicious, that his position within the organization differed from other members and siblings given the financial profile of the automotive industry company registered to him and the amount of money circulating in his accounts, that he was the person who knew and managed the organization's activities in the fuel sector, and that he acted under the orders and instructions of the organization leader, thus being part of the hierarchical structure.

In his defense, Doğan Aktaş stated, "I earned a very good income from the engineering work I performed. The commercial transactions I conducted with my relatives are in accordance with procedures and are not unlawful. We are a family business, not an organization. Our family ties are strong. Aziz İhsan Aktaş is the eldest of our family. We consult him when we have problems with the companies, but he has no relationship with the company. The allegations of a criminal organization against me are baseless. I do not accept the charges of bid-rigging and forgery of private documents. I initiated legal proceedings due to the commercial relationship between Aziz İhsan Aktaş and me. I do not know the defendants from the Beşiktaş Municipality. My company belongs to me, not my older brother. I manage this company. I am the one who knows how to do asphalt work, not my brother. I received my first job in Istanbul from İSFALT. They are trying to portray my company as proceeds of crime with the baseless statements of witnesses. All my assets are held by my company, İç Kale A.Ş. I have no assets registered in my name. The seizure of my assets is baseless in this regard."

"If I were to award a tender, I would give it to my father Ramazan Murat Aktaş's firm, not my uncle Aziz İhsan Aktaş's firm"

Ferhat Aktaş, a non-custodial defendant and nephew of Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was accused in the indictment of submitting approximate cost price offers for tenders held by the Beşiktaş Municipality, establishing companies under the instructions and with the resources of the organization leader, acting under the instructions of the organization leader to carry out the organization's goals and activities, and being an organization member by unconditionally obeying the organization leader, presented his defense. Aktaş said, "Aziz İhsan Aktaş does not have the authority to give me orders. He is not my employer. I am not a member of an organization; I am innocent. If I were to award a tender, I would give it to my father Ramazan Murat Aktaş's firm, not my uncle Aziz İhsan Aktaş's firm. Everyone who carries our surname has been sued and is being tried here. I only know Utku Caner Çaykara by name. I have had no contact with him before or after the tender. I reject the accusations of bid-rigging."

"The reason for the accusations against me is the competitive environment that has formed between us and the owners of rival firms"

Hamit Ünal, a non-custodial defendant and cousin of Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who was alleged in the indictment to have carried out tenders under the control of Aziz İhsan Aktaş by submitting offers through a bargaining method to the firm belonging to the criminal organization, stated in his defense, "Aziz İhsan Aktaş has no profit or contribution to my companies. The accusations against me in the case I am being tried for were added to the indictment solely based on the statements of rival firm officials and secret witnesses. It is in the ordinary course of life for invitations to be sent to firms in a certain region. The allegations that I brought my own firm to the forefront by preventing tenders planned for other firms through various methods are unacceptable. I was a partner with Baki Nugay for a period. The reason for the accusations against me is the competitive environment that has formed between us and the owners of rival firms."

Hearing adjourned to February 17

Following the defense statements, the court adjourned the hearing to Tuesday, February 17, to continue the defense statements of the non-custodial defendants. The panel stated that this was due to maintenance work within the campus and the court's work on other files.