'He speaks differently to me than he does to CNN Türk': İsmail Saymaz publishes interview with Sedat Savtak, who played Kazım Kaşifoğlu

Kaşif Kozinoğlu’s death in prison in 2011 has drawn attention to the statements made by actor Sedat Savtak, who played the character Kazım Kaşifoğlu in the TV series “Kurtlar Vadisi Pusu”, as part of an ongoing investigation.

In a program he attended on CNN Türk yesterday, Savtak said that no information was provided to him regarding the real-life Kozinoğlu. The actor stated that the similarity between the character in the series and Kozinoğlu might be a coincidence.

Journalist İsmail Saymaz, noting that there were discrepancies between Savtak's statements on CNN Türk and what he had told him previously, said, "Sedat Savtak told me the exact opposite of what he said on CNN Türk. He speaks differently to me than he does to CNN Türk. I will write the details of our conversation sentence by sentence in my column in Sözcü on Sunday."

Today, Saymaz published the relevant section of his interview with Savtak.

HE PUBLISHED WHAT SAVTAK TOLD HIM

In his article, Saymaz stated that during their conversation, Savtak provided information about the series and the character he played, knowing that the conversation would be published.

"In our chat, Savtak told me what he knew about the series and his role, knowing I would publish it, and I recorded it. As I said, I never wanted to refute a theater actor," said Saymaz, who then shared the following transcript of their conversation:

"Did you know who you were playing? Were you aware of it?

Of course, the event was ongoing when the role was offered.

He had been arrested.

He hadn't been arrested. There were reports that he would confess before he was arrested. We thought, inevitably, that it was him. We research before playing a character. That's how we got into the role. I even said on the day he was arrested, 'let's see where the character goes...' It went the same way.

You were arrested too.

Yes, we were taken into custody for the sake of the film. For the sake of the film, we had that heart attack, and I was killed with a syringe.

Did you follow Kozinoğlu’s life?

In the series, yes. More or less... He died. I said to myself, 'we were working so well!'

In the series, you are threatened with death in detention. Two days later, Kozinoğlu dies in prison. How did you foresee it?

Mr. İsmail, we only study our lessons and go when the script arrives.

I didn't say 'you wrote it.' The prosecutor's office is following the trail of this suspicion.

‘Kara’ (the hero in the series) used to say this to me a lot. And I was playing it as if I were looking for an opportunity (to kill).

There was more than one threat; it didn't just happen that day.

No, no, constantly.

You wanted to kill him too.

I was even after his son. That happened too, anyway.

I understand it this way: After news about Kozinoğlu began to be reported, such a character was created in the series and this was offered to you.

Of course, that's how it was at the very beginning. That's how I joined the series. I researched 'who is this Kaşifoğlu,' I couldn't make a comparison. Then we must have talked about it on set.

You worked on the role. You must have studied Kozinoğlu.

For one thing, we have no resemblance. The nose, the hair. The names are similar, yes. Kaşifoğlu, Kaşif Kozinoğlu... Very close to each other. When I saw my photo next to his in the news of his death, I said, 'What is happening?'

What were you headlined as?

Kozinoğlu, the series, and Sedat Savtak, who plays Kozinoğlu. I said, “These things happen, I am an actor, let me mind my own business.”

A FETÖ investigation was opened into the series. What do you think?

I think I was in that car. The license plate of that car...

FG?

And the continuing numbers (0716) coincide with the attempt (referring to July 15). We were shooting it at night. Now I said, 'Come on, is that so?' Interesting.

Are you suspicious right now?

I'm not suspicious. I don't know what to believe anymore.

Do you think it was a coincidence?

It doesn't look like a coincidence.

Is that so?

It doesn't look like it. The characters and names are different, but we sit and think about this; this is one of the reasons we are actors."