Haluk Levent's driver Çetin's testimony revealed: I carried large amounts of cash in Ankara

Haluk Levent's driver, İlker Çetin, stated in his testimony regarding the investigation into the Ahbap Association that large money transfers made through bank accounts were carried out in accordance with Haluk Levent's instructions. Çetin declared that over 210 million liras were sent from his account to Yeliz Kaya, that he carried large amounts of cash in Ankara, that instructions were sent via WhatsApp, and that casino chips worth 1-2 million liras were purchased in Cyprus through his own account.

İlker Çetin, who served as Haluk Levent's chauffeur for approximately 3.5 years, admitted in his testimony given to the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Branch on July 14, 2026, that the large money transfers made through bank accounts were carried out in accordance with Haluk Levent's instructions.

"He didn't have his own account, he was using mine"

Stating that Haluk Levent did not have a bank account or credit card, Çetin said that money to be sent to different people was deposited into his own account and then transferred to accounts designated by Levent. In his testimony, Çetin said, "I was sending the money that came into my account to the people he told me to," and noted that instructions regarding the money transfers were sent to him via WhatsApp. Claiming that Haluk Levent also used accounts belonging to Emrah Gödeliner, Zafer Yay, and Yeliz Kaya, Çetin argued that he did not derive any personal benefit from the transactions in his account.

Transfer exceeding 210 million liras to Yeliz Kaya

According to account movements examined by MASAK, it was stated that 10 million 124 thousand 766 liras were sent in 250 transactions from Yeliz Kaya's accounts to İlker Çetin's accounts between January 13, 2024, and April 24, 2026. It was recorded that 210 million 336 thousand 68 liras were transferred from İlker Çetin's accounts to Yeliz Kaya's accounts in 45 separate transactions during the same period. When asked about these money movements, Çetin confessed that the transfers were carried out in accordance with Haluk Levent's instructions. Arguing that he did not know the source of the money or for what purpose it was used, Çetin said, "I was acting upon Haluk Levent's requests and orders."

"I carried large amounts of cash in Ankara"

Haluk Levent's driver, Çetin, declared that he received large amounts of cash in Ankara and deposited this money into Yeliz Kaya's bank account. Stating that a location was sent to him by Haluk Levent, Çetin said he went to the specified address and took the money he received from individuals to the bank. Arguing that he did not know who the money came from or what its source was, Çetin stated that although he was uncomfortable with the money movements, he did not ask questions for fear of losing his job.

"I kept the WhatsApp correspondence as evidence"

İlker Çetin noted that the instructions regarding the transactions carried out through his account were in WhatsApp correspondence. Çetin said, "I was suspicious, but I didn't know the details. I kept all the correspondence so it would serve as evidence." Stating that he handed over his mobile phone along with its password to the police units, Çetin said that the correspondence regarding the money transfers was on his phone.

Claim of 1-2 million liras in chips in Cyprus

One of the most striking parts of Çetin's testimony was the allegations regarding Haluk Levent's casino transactions in Cyprus. Stating that Haluk Levent gambled during the times he went to Cyprus, Çetin declared that casino chips were purchased for Levent through his own bank account. Çetin said that the amounts that caught his attention in these transactions were over 1 million liras, and some payments reached approximately 2 million liras.

8.6 million lira money movement with Zafer Yay

In the MASAK investigation, it was stated that a total of 6 million 502 thousand 59 liras were transferred from Zafer Yay's accounts to İlker Çetin's accounts in 393 transactions. It was recorded that 2 million 120 thousand 271 liras were sent from Çetin's accounts to Zafer Yay's accounts in 36 transactions. Çetin argued that these money movements were related to vehicle, travel, and other expenses, and that some of the money was sent to other people under Haluk Levent's instructions.

Transfer exceeding 11 million liras with Alper Çelik

In the MASAK report, it was stated that 2 million 806 thousand 600 liras were sent from Alper Çelik's accounts to İlker Çetin's accounts in 31 transactions. It was recorded that a total of 8 million 355 thousand 900 liras were transferred from İlker Çetin's accounts to Alper Çelik in 287 transactions. Çetin claimed that Haluk Levent had him send money to Alper Çelik using his own account. Arguing that he did not know the source of the money, Çetin said he wrote phrases like "debt repayment" or "with Haluk Levent's knowledge" in the transfer descriptions.

"I was just his driver"

Stating that he did not accept the accusations against him, İlker Çetin argued that the money movements in his account belonged to Haluk Levent. Saying that he was not a member of any criminal organization and had no connection with the Ahbap Association, Çetin said, "I was only Haluk Levent's driver. The transactions made through my account belong to Haluk Levent." Çetin's lawyer also stated that his client was an insured employee acting in accordance with his employer's instructions, that he did not derive personal benefit from the money movements, and that he had handed over all records on his phone to the police units. Judicial investigations regarding the allegations reflected in the testimony report as part of the investigation are ongoing.