Fatih Altaylı's article from months ago back on the agenda following Haluk Levent's detention: 'Ahbap çavuş'

Haluk Levent, for whom an arrest warrant was issued today as part of an investigation into the AHBAP Association, has been detained by Financial Crimes Bureau teams. It is alleged that Levent gambled 990 million TL between 2020 and 2026, losing 390 million TL, and that 120 million TL was transferred from AHBAP to the account of Levent's assistant, Yeliz Kaya.

HERE ARE THOSE REMARKABLE LINES BY ALTAYLI

This development has brought journalist Fatih Altaylı's article titled 'Ahbap çavuş', written in June, back to the agenda. Here are those remarkable lines by Altaylı;

'Even though Haluk Levent had entered and exited prison multiple times before due to financial crimes, and even though he constantly experienced economic and related legal problems due to his gambling addiction, he was seen as a well-intentioned and sympathetic person.

And the person at the head of the Red Crescent (Kızılay) had created such a "dirty" image that the public saw even the gambling-addicted Haluk Levent as much more reliable than the head of the Red Crescent, and donations began to pour into the Ahbap Association.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, was depositing earthquake donations into Ahbap's account.

Frankly, we were supporting this too.

We knew Haluk Levent, we knew his problems, but despite everything, he still had a much more reliable image than Red Crescent President Kerem Kınık.

Haluk Levent would come and refresh his image, saying, "Brother, I swear I quit gambling. I am far from those things now."

The Ahbap Association, which became identified with Haluk Levent, collected 3 billion TL in donations after the earthquake.

That was 158 million dollars at the exchange rate of that day, which is 7 billion TL today; if you invested it in the Currency Protected Deposit scheme, it would be at least 13 billion TL.

In those days, Haluk Levent was promising everywhere, "We will account for every penny we spend. We will be very transparent."

We also believed in his good intentions and in him.

Three years have passed.

I do not know what Haluk Levent did with the earthquake donations he said he would "account for penny by penny."

There is no clear information on this subject on Ahbap's website, and there is no account statement.

At that time, Haluk Levent was saying that he would ensure all kinds of transparency with independent audit firms.

However, after 3 years, no account statement regarding these appears on Ahbap's website, nor can a financial report be found. I cannot see a report from an international audit firm.

To tell the truth, I wasn't following the matter closely either, except for checking a few times in between.

However, a development occurred in recent days.

Haluk Levent's name was once again associated with a financial crime.

The president of the Ahbap Association came to the agenda again with a bounced check incident. He was fined again.

This time the amount was 70 million TL.

It is clear that Haluk Levent, who said "I quit gambling," could not really give up his old habit.

And the Turkish public had preferred to entrust the liver to the cat due to their lack of trust in the Red Crescent.

In this case, Haluk Levent must disclose all financial reports as he promised, and account for the approximately 7 billion TL in today's money, or 158 million dollars, that Ahbap collected for the earthquake, to the Turkish public penny by penny.

I hope and pray that he does.

Because this nation cannot easily overcome the devastation that would be caused by being deceived once again.'