He wanted to benefit from effective remorse: Confessor Aziz İhsan Aktaş's additional testimony revealed

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has issued detention warrants for 47 people in the 5th wave of the investigation it is conducting into the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB). Among those detained are 5 mayors.

The aforementioned 5th wave of the operation began after Aziz İhsan Aktaş, who is alleged to be the leader of the criminal organization and is cited as the basis for the Beşiktaş Municipality investigation, requested to benefit from effective remorse within the scope of the investigation launched into the criminal organization in Istanbul in recent months.

Aktaş, who became a confessor, gave additional testimony on April 30 and May 11.

Regarding the meeting in Florya, Aktaş stated, "It was stated at the meeting that if the companies did not accept the demands of the İBB administration, great difficulties would be created during the performance of the contracts and their payments would not be made."

"HE WAS BLACKMAILING RIZA AKPOLAT BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT"

In his testimony on May 11, Aktaş said, 'Fahri Aksoy had bought 2 vehicles for Rıza Akpolat. Fahri and Bektaş Yıldız were blackmailing Rıza Akpolat because of this incident. They were stating that the price of the vehicles had not been paid. I also became aware of this incident through my brothers. 7 million 500 thousand liras as the price of the vehicles was withdrawn in 2021 and delivered by hand to Fahri Aksoy and Alican Abacı in Etiler. After the money was given, a portion was deposited by hand into the account of Rıza Akpolat's company named Emza to pay for the vehicle costs and sent to the accounts of the companies from which the vehicles were purchased, and the remaining amount was offset for other accounts between Fahri Aksoy and Rıza Akpolat. When the vehicle list and company accounts belonging to Rıza Akpolat's company are examined, the companies from which the vehicles were purchased, the dates, and the money transfers can be identified.'

Stating that a Volvo brand vehicle was purchased for Alican Abacı, that the vehicle was purchased in the name of Fikret Demir or his companies, and that Alican had registered all his assets under this person and his companies, Aktaş said, 'According to what I learned from my brothers and relatives, they stated that they had to buy this vehicle in exchange for their receivables from the municipality. In exchange for the payment of the "progress payment" receivables belonging to the companies of my brothers and relatives, 600 thousand dollars were delivered to his bodyguard, driver İbrahim, and Olcay Akgün upon the instruction of Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı. The payment for 2 vehicles registered under the company owned by Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat was made to be purchased as a result of the pressure put on my brothers. Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı demanded 5 million 500 thousand liras and vehicles from my brothers and relatives to be used in the election campaign of CHP Avcılar Mayoral Candidate Utku Caner Çankaya in exchange for them being able to receive their accumulated "progress payment" receivables from the Beşiktaş Municipality. The vehicles were given under the control of Erhan Daka to be used in the election region,' he said.

Aktaş continued as follows:

'Beşiktaş Deputy Mayor Alican Abacı demanded vehicles from my brothers and relatives to be used in the election campaign of CHP Beyoğlu Mayoral Candidate İnan Güney in exchange for them being able to receive their accumulated "progress payment" receivables from the Beşiktaş Municipality. The provided vehicles were given under the control of İnan Güney to be used in the election region. He demanded extra vehicles from my brothers, beyond the vehicles included in the municipal tender scope.

I know that these vehicles were used primarily by the close circles of the Beşiktaş Municipality mayor and deputy mayors, and at the CHP Headquarters and the Istanbul Provincial Presidency. I learned that a vehicle was delivered to Hakan Bahçetepe before he became the Mayor of Gaziosmanpaşa, under pressure from the Beşiktaş Municipality. Although the vehicle was requested repeatedly after he became mayor, it was not delivered.

Currently, this vehicle continues to be used by his close circle. One of the vehicles taken outside the scope at the Beşiktaş Municipality was also given to CHP Istanbul Provincial President Özgür Çelik.'

"THERE IS AN INSTRUCTION FROM MAYOR EKREM"

Claiming that Özgür Karabat called him before the 2024 local elections, stating that there was an instruction from Ekrem İmamoğlu, that companies receiving tenders from CHP municipalities in Istanbul should give money for the election, that those who did not give money would not be there in the next period and their payments would not be made, and that he requested money from him within this scope, Aktaş said, 'I sent the money through Ömer G. to Özgür Karabat's office in İkitelli in 2024 and had it delivered. I will obtain the amount of the money from bank records and report it.'

Claiming that after Ekrem İmamoğlu won the İBB presidency in the 2019 local elections, many garage repair, maintenance, and overhaul works were given to Ulaşım A.Ş., where Özgür Karabat was the financial advisor, through 21-b bargaining tenders via Alper K., whom Özgür Karabat had brought in as general manager, Aktaş said:

'Serious pressure began to be put on companies that continued their work during the AK Party period. Due to the fact that these matters were exposed within the institution with a video recording taken while money was being given by Yusuf to Alper while the then general manager Alper K. and Yusuf Y. were meeting at a hotel in Antalya, Şefik O. invited all companies doing maintenance and repair work at IETT to a meeting at the headquarters building of the company belonging to Menderes C. in Küçükçekmece.

At this meeting, Şefik O. announced that he was assigned by Ekrem İmamoğlu and that a meeting would be held at the presidential residence in Florya. At the meeting, it was stated that if the companies did not accept the demands of the İBB administration, great difficulties would be created during the performance of the contracts and their payments would not be made. Their demands were for a 10 percent payment to be made to them over the contract price and for this 10 percent payment to be delivered to them in the amounts they requested every time a "progress payment" was made.'

Claiming that a total of 84 million 857 thousand 500 liras had been paid to date, Aktaş stated, 'Payments belonging to my brothers' companies at İSFALT, which belongs to the İBB, were not being made. Ertan Yıldız and Burak K. stated that there was an instruction from Ekrem İmamoğlu and said, "Either you give the money or you cannot receive the payments." Upon this, I delivered 970 thousand dollars. They stated that the money taken from us both at İSFALT and at IETT was collected in a pool they called a system and transferred to the relevant places in line with the instructions of Ekrem İmamoğlu.'