Message from Bora Kaplan to Kılıçdaroğlu: It was alleged that his men were among those who welcomed him at the CHP Headquarters

Following the appellate court's partial reversal decision, Bora Kaplan, who is being retried on charges of being the leader of a criminal organization, accused the court, referring to the police officers who conducted the operation: "They bring in fake phones, and you accept them. We bring in official correspondence, but you are slaughtering us right before our eyes to hide the evidence."

In today's session of the case, heard by the Ankara 32nd High Criminal Court in the Sincan Prison campus courtroom, the testimony of one of the non-detained defendants, Tansel Aktan, was taken regarding Instagram conversations allegedly held with Serdar Sertçelik on a found phone.

Accepting the Instagram conversations, Aktan said the following:

"When I received a message under the name Serdar Sertçelik, I asked Sertçelik's older brother through my lawyer what this was about. His brother stated that the account did not belong to Serdar Sertçelik, but asked me to continue the conversation to identify who it was, so I did. I knew the person on the other end was not Serdar Sertçelik."

While Tansel Aktan was explaining this, Serdar Sertçelik also submitted a document stating that while he was in prison in Hungary, he had this account, which was alleged to belong to him, closed through his brother.

Mustafa Aydar, who was heard as a witness because he had correspondence with Sertçelik on the found phone, also stated that the messages in question did not belong to him, saying, "Serdar is my friend, but I don't address him as 'my Serdar,' I call him Serdar."

"Are We in an American Movie?"

During the hearing, Bora Kaplan's lawyer, Umut Köroğlu, who was heard upon Kaplan's request to be heard as a witness regarding the events that took place during his money laundering interrogation in İzmir, explained the following:

"They called from the Ankara Organized Crime Bureau (KOM) and said, 'We will come on such and such day.' We met at 09:00 in the morning. Şevket Bey (Demircan) was there with 4-5 officers, one of whom was a commissioner. Since the procedures in the prison took a long time, the statement could only be started in the evening. Before starting, they said, 'We brought greetings from Director Murat. The reason we came is not for the statement, we have demands. That's why we came in such large numbers,' and told Bora Kaplan that his wife and sisters were in custody. Bora Kaplan reacted and asked what they wanted. Again, saying 'Director Murat sends his greetings,' they told him that if he included the things they wanted in his statement, they would help him until his release, and that they would even ensure his release in a short time by reducing his charge from organization leadership to organization membership. Can such a thing happen? For the first time in my life, I thought, 'Am I in an American movie?' Finally, they said, 'Okay, he gave these statements, but say these things about Alp Aslan, Oben, and Volkan.' Bora Kaplan reminded them that he had already told the story about the watch regarding Alp Aslan and Oben, and said, 'Volkan, I don't even like him.' They wanted him to say that he had Volkan sell weapons. The statement didn't finish until 5 in the morning. Finally, a sentence like 'I heard he had weapons sold' was included. In return, it was promised that his wife and sisters would be released. When he heard a day later that they had been given house arrest, he reacted and called us to the prison. After that, the incident that put me on Twitter happened. The police stated that Director Murat did not like the statement and that they had changed it, but that the signatures were missing, and had me sign the newly prepared last 4 pages."

Upon the Presiding Judge's question, "Why didn't you add a reservation to the statement?" Lawyer Köroğlu said, "You are one hundred percent right. However, Bora Kaplan reminded me that his wife and sisters were in custody, said he could not take the risk, and asked me to sign it."

Police Created a TV Set

When the Presiding Judge gave the floor to Bora Kaplan to take his statement regarding witness and complainant statements and requests for participation, and his defense if any, a debate arose over whether he would make a defense. When the Judge reminded him that he had previously said he would not make a defense, Kaplan reacted, saying, "I didn't say I wouldn't make a defense. I said I couldn't prepare my defense without being given the 70 folders and asked for time," and then announced that he would make his defense.

In his defense, criticizing the Presiding Judge and the fact that the WhatsApp correspondence of the police officers who conducted the operation was not given to them, Kaplan spoke as follows:

"These contain correspondence and images that will reveal our innocence. But regarding the digital examination, you only asked whether Serdar Sertçelik was tortured. You should have at least written the other accusations for which the police are being tried. What, were they going to write 'we tortured'? Why are you hiding this correspondence? They bring in fake phones, and you accept them. We bring in official correspondence, but you are slaughtering us right before our eyes to hide the evidence. We haven't been able to explain our troubles for 3 years. I'm going to tear my clothes off. Why are you covering up that evidence? My problem is not the police or them going to jail. Whether Director Murat or Şevket go to jail or not; I don't care. Besides, let them not go, they have children. I am trying to prove my innocence. You are a man of law, you are a statesman; give us advice, what should we do?"

When the Presiding Judge reacted to these statements, Kaplan's lawyer said, "Do not personalize it." When the Judge replied, "He is also provoking," Kaplan said, "Provoking is not my place," and continued his accusations against the police as follows:

"That correspondence is not given on the grounds that it is state information. What state information? They have cursed at the nation's mothers and sisters, they have engaged in collection. If these messages do not exist, file a criminal complaint against me, give me aggravated life imprisonment. I wish they were here to listen to me, to ask me questions. Murat Çelik lied openly in his statement here. He claimed that they were going to take Lawyer Cengiz Haliç into custody, but that Deputy Chief Prosecutor Ahmet Yıkılmaz prevented it. Meanwhile, he took Cengiz Haliç into custody on the Kırıkkale road when there was no arrest or detention warrant. Cevheri Güven shared this on the same day. I am in prison; Ahmet Yıkılmaz and Mustafa Kaya have no idea. These are the real ones working with FETÖ members. Again, in his statement here, he said that I called the previous presiding judge 'my sweetie.' I swear, I did not, I used another expression, and then I immediately corrected it and apologized. They think the state is a candy apple. No one can see my state like a candy apple. In their correspondence, they call me a 'bastard.' My mother and father are known, I am not a bastard. He might be one himself."

Upon the Presiding Judge's warning of "provocation," Kaplan replied, "He calls me a bastard. Why this hostility towards me? Did I kill his father? These are not police, they have acted like enemies," and noted the following:

"The operation at Esenboğa; Murat Çelik and his team created a TV set with guns at their waists. If I had gotten out with a gun, they would have made an even bigger show. Even though I raised my hands, they laid me on the concrete floor."

They Are Either Serving the Same Clique or

Bora Kaplan, after asking those who claim that he set a trap for the police via the found phone to stop trampling on it, continued to read the WhatsApp correspondence of the investigation prosecutor and the police and noted the following:

"The prosecutor is working desperately to protect and save those police officers who cursed at him behind his back. Either the police found a weakness of his, or they are serving the same clique, the same place."

Did the Former Presiding Judge Provide Information?

Claiming that this file was constructed from beginning to end with malicious intent, saying, "Let's do something to them," Bora Kaplan said, "I have 4 children. One is studying medicine abroad, one is training to be a pilot. And one is studying in a class for gifted children. But they are portraying me as a jackal, a cello, a mugger. I swear it's not like that."

Kaplan, upon the allegation that the former president of the court, Mehmet Güven, gave him information about the file, the Presiding Judge denied this. However, after Kaplan said, "We hear it too," he stated that Güven also went to the Court of Cassation criminal chamber to provide information about the file, and wished that he "gets what he deserves from God."

"He Wanted 5 Million for the Murders"

Bora Kaplan also made the following allegations about Commissioner Gökhan Karaca, who is both a defendant and a complainant in the case:

"Before my statement was taken regarding the murders that were the subject of the investigation, he sent word through a friend, saying, 'I have the murder summaries. Let him give 5 million, and I will write the summary in his favor.' I will ask that friend, and if he allows, I will say his name. Later, when they came to take my statement about the murders, while we were alone, Gökhan Karaca asked, 'Didn't I send you word?' When I said, 'You did, what does it matter if the summary is good or bad,' he replied, 'You're late.' I was going to ask him these things when he came here, but you didn't allow it."

Kılıçdaroğlu Message

On the other hand, during a break in the hearing, regarding the allegations that his men were among those who welcomed Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu when he went to the CHP Headquarters after the "absolute nullity" decision, Bora Kaplan said, "Those mentioned have nothing to do with me."

Kaplan will continue his defense tomorrow.

News: Müyesser YILDIZ